Johanan Dujon, founder and CEO of Algas Organics, says he wants to reassure Saint Lucians that local food is safe. This follows widespread public concern after St. Lucia Times reported on Food and Agriculture Organisation data showing that 27.6 kg of pesticides are applied per hectare of cropland in Saint Lucia, placing the island, along with several others from the Caribbean, among the world’s top 10 countries for pesticide use intensity.
Dujon, whose company makes bio-fertiliser from sargassum seaweed, said he has worked closely with farmers across Saint Lucia for the past 12 years and has witnessed the steps being taken to ensure food is produced safely.
“In tropical climates you’re always going to have more pest pressure than in colder climates, as you can imagine, and of course you’re going to have higher usage of pesticides in some of these regions,” Dujon said. However, he added, “High pesticide usage, while concerning, does not mean that it’s not being used correctly. So, we should not conflate higher pesticide use because we have more pests …”
The FAO numbers show how much pesticide is used per hectare of cropland, not how much is left on the food we eat. Dujon explained that, when pesticides are used according to established guidelines, they do not remain on crops indefinitely. He said that pesticides have a “re-entry period”, which can range from three to seven days depending on the product.
“If you spray a pesticide on a crop to kill off a particular pest, that chemical stays in the plant system for 3, 7, however many days that’s on the label, and once that time passes the produce is fully safe to consume,” he said.
Dujon also mentioned that the Ministry of Agriculture has provided pesticide training, but he thinks there should be a more organised approach.
“The real question and where the work needs to be done is on making sure that farmers adhere to these re-entry periods, which I think the majority of them do.”
The Algas Organics owner said he believes the next step for agriculture is for the authorities to carry out spot testing using specialised equipment and for proper branding of produce to become the norm.
“The Pesticide Residue unit at Union needs to open expeditiously, and I think that would help to allay public perception,” he said. “If we could do some spot testing of the produce at different places that sell and just be able to come out with a report and say, ‘Hey guys, look, we tested produce around these supermarkets, and we’re okay.’”
Branded produce, he said, could also help ease public concerns by allowing consumers to identify sellers of safe produce.
“When you pick up a batch of lettuce, sometimes you have no idea which farmer grew it… which is where the brand comes into play because that brand will then have a batch number and you can sort of trace it back. I think that’s where we’re going as a society, and I think it’s going to redound to the benefit of everybody, frankly.”
Dujon stressed that making food more traceable should not make people lose trust in local farmers. He said farmers have every reason to make sure their food is safe.
“Farmers eat their own produce and don’t want to poison themselves or others,” he said.
