The following summary was prepared by Television Trust for the Environment (TVE), the producers of Toxic Trail. To download a complete transcript of the documentary, click here [pdf file, 11 pages, 247 Kb]. To order a copy of Toxic Trail, click here.
With annual sales of over 30 billion US dollars, the pesticide industry is big business. But while manufacturers say they try very hard to encourage 'responsible use' of their chemicals, every year more than 25 million cases of pesticide poisoning are reported - with nearly all the victims in developing countries.
'Toxic Trail' uncovers the scale of the problem by following the flow of chemicals from their manufacturers in Thailand across the open border into Cambodia where they are posing a serious threat to human health and the environment.
Multinational companies disclaim responsibility for what happens to their products in Cambodia since they have no formal operations there, leaving the responsibility to the Government. But after decades of civil war, the impoverished Cambodian Ministries are struggling to build regulatory capacity in an attempt to control illicit trade and use of pesticides. But they're no match for the massive commercial pressure coming from both east and west.
With 85% of Cambodians reliant on agriculture for their livelihood, the market for pesticides here is enormous. Many farmers believe that pesticides are a miracle ally in the war against pests and the country's recently opened borders are a highway for these products. But few of Cambodia's poorly educated and impoverished farmers realise how dangerous these chemicals are.
Methyl Parathion, Monocrotophos, and Mevinphos, all classified as 'extremely hazardous' by the World Health Organisation and banned or restricted in many developed countries are sold freely, and widely used by poor farmers across Cambodia with no safeguards whatsoever.
'Normal use' in the field is a far cry from the 'safe use' touted by chemical companies, and farmers are literally bathing in toxic cocktails.
Proper protective gear for the use of such hazardous chemicals, even if available, would cost a farmer more than a year's income - and even the minority who are literate cannot read the safety warning labels printed in Thai or Vietnamese. As a result, after spraying, farmers often report 4 or more symptoms of pesticide poisoning.
The World Health Organisation has identified 50 category 1A formulations or 'extremely hazardous' chemicals.
Methyl parathion, a widely used organo-phosphate, seriously affects the nervous system if applied without due care. Minor symptoms include irritability, insomnia and nausea, whilst more serious poisoning will cause vomiting, staggering, ataxia, excessive sweating, shortness of breath, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and excessive fatigue.
For most of Cambodia's farmers, chemical poisoning is a way-of-life.
The Community Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program is helping farmers understand more about pesticides and their acute health effects. Coupled with the work of local NGOs, like Cambodia's CEDUC organisation, they're spreading the word on the ground and helping farmers understand the risks involved in using pesticides.
Next week, in Toxic Trail II, we find out what the pesticide companies have to say and see how farmers are developing more eco-friendly solutions for themselves.
In the second of our programmes on the use of pesticides, Earth Report finds out what the chemical companies are doing about the misuse of their products and the 'quiet revolution' that is offering farmers a pesticide-free, organic, future.
In the first programme we saw how the illegal trade in pesticides from Thailand to Cambodia has resulted in the widespead chemical poisoning of Cambodian farmers - because they cannot read the safety labels on pesticide canisters.
'Product Stewardship' is a set of conditions that chemical manufacturers have adopted to ensure the safe use of their products. What is not clear is whether manufacturers who have a policy on stewardship are responsible for the misuse of their products in countries they do not directly distribute to, like Cambodia.
Campaigning groups, like the Pesticide Action Network, believe that 'responsibility' means that chemical companies, who make a huge profit from the unregulated trade of their products, should withdraw any products they cannot control - or take action to ensure their safe use.
The official response from chemical companies is that it is 'fakes', not their genuine products, that are causing the problem.
As campaign groups and chemical companies argue over the issue of responsibility, Earth Report takes a look at two successful 'chemical-free' initiatives.
Bangkok's ex-governor, Dr Bhichit Ratrakulm, was so concerned about the rising level of pesticide use by Thai farmers that he used market forces to encourage local farmers to cut down.
In Si Moom Wong market - the largest fresh market in Thailand at 16 hectares - a team of technicians examine around 70% of the produce every day for pesticide residue levels. In just three years, Dr Bhichit Ratrakulm's scheme has encouraged local farmers to adopt more ecologically-friendly methods of food production. Now only 5% of the produce reaching this market is rejected.
As a result, local farmers are turning organic. In Chainat district, farmers have started their own insectory which breeds natural predators to control pests. The insectory is so popular that farmers travel from neighbouring districts in search of 'green' bugs.
Thailand's ecologically-aware farmers are part of a wider movement which began in Indonesia. Known as Integrated Pest Management (IPM), this way of farming only resorts to pesticides when they are absolutely necessary.
In 1986, former-President Suharto banned the use of 57 formulations of pesticide on rice and declared that farmers should learn about IPM. Since then this 'quiet revolution' has grown into a strong national programme.
Farmers learn about management, agroecology, soil properties and how to control insects naturally in 'farmer field schools'. But IPM is more than just the promotion of environmentally-sensitive methods of farming - more importantly, it's about long-term education, knowledge-sharing, empowerment and community building.
With so many farmers converting to IPM there's little demand for pesticides - farmers who have adopted IPM practices have, on average, been able to reduce their pesticide use by 80%
IPM is so popular in Indonesia that it's led to a National Association of farmers. By working together, these farmers now have considerable advocacy and campaigning clout. Through the IPM network, Indonesia's farmers, once a silent majority, have gained a voice.
In Cambodia we saw that the misuse and overuse of pesticides can have serious consequences for the environment and the health of farmers. But there is a choice. Farmers now have an organic alternative - championed by IPM - which offers proven results in an ecologically-friendly way. Can Cambodia rise to the challenge?
The Toxic Trail documentary is now available in the following languages: English, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Khmer, Sinhala, and Thai. Click here to find out how to order a copy.
For further information about TVE's Earth Reports, visit this website: http://www.tve.org/earthreport/