The pesky business of pesticides

Pesticide-resistant crops create prosperous opportunities but spark concern about health for both humans and the environment.   

Agricultural biotechnology has created pesticide-resistant crops that are central to many Argentinian farmers. Franklin College faculty member Pablo Lapegna, associate professor of Sociology and Latin American and Caribbean Studies, explores the way these farmers view the pesticides sprayed on their crops and the potential environmental and health risks associated with them. Supported by a grant by the National Endowment for the Humanities for his research project, “Prosperity, Plants, and Pesticides: The Dangers and Opportunities of Agricultural Biotechnology” Lapegna partnered with Johana Kunin, Professor of Anthropology at the National University of General San Martín in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as an interdisciplinary research collaboration designed to learn more about a pressing issue faced by farmers and farming communities around the world. 

Pesticide-resistant crops allow for spraying with pesticides without damaging the food. Economically, these modified crops are more stable and profitable for farmers to grow. Unfortunately, pesticides are not risk free. Lepegna is investigating how family farmers in Argentina view the pesticides that they have to use to make a profit. “I study farming and people in farming communities who navigate the space between agricultural practices that bring prosperity but can also put their health in harm's way” Lepegna said. 

To gain a deeper understanding of farmers’ opinions, Lapegna uses ethnographic research methods, immersing himself within the group to better understand their values. "Interacting with these farmers in person sheds light on things that might be overlooked,” he said. “It allows us get a more intimate knowledge of how farmers think about pesticides.” 

Forming connections allows for deeper conversations around pesticides that may differ from what farmers might say in a survey or tell news media. “After we build rapport with farmers or people in farming communities, they are much more straightforward about what they think about herbicides,” Lapegna said. He considers this research very rewarding since it gives him the opportunity to engage with people whose perspectives can be quite diverse. In addition to his qualitative research, he also plans to use silicone wristbands to measure the actual amount of pesticide exposure.    

Lapegna has previously published research on agricultural practices in Argentina. His book Soybeans and Power explores genetically modified soybean crops and the effects of pesticides on small farmers. He plans to write another book based on his current research that will look at the challenges that people face, when necessary and critical technology has the potential to cause harm. “One of the points that we want to make with the project is that about how we depend on substances that either make our lives easier and are key to our livelihoods but at the same time can make us sick or can damage the planet,” he said. The book will look at how people live and deal with these contradictions in agriculture and beyond. 

Image: UGA associate professor Pablo Lapegna