You often hear, “You are what you eat”, but do you really know what is in the food you eat?
Fruit and vegetables are sprayed with different chemicals to improve their growth or protect against pest attacks, not to mention the microplastics accumulating in our soils and water. This affects humans, other animals and fish as these chemicals spread throughout the environment.
We are, therefore, exposed to pesticides by consuming contaminated water and food with pesticide residues exceeding the limits. This is associated with chronic health conditions such as cancer. In fact, it’s been known for over a decade that frequently consuming contaminated foods is associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancer.
A study is being undertaken at the Centre of Molecular Medicine and Biobanking (CMMB) of the University of Malta together with my student Kim Fenech, to investigate the effects of a few of the most commonly used pesticides in Malta on the molecular biology of the colon lining and colorectal cancer initiation and progression.
Pesticides are designed to negatively affect the biology of animals, mainly insects, feeding on crops. However, the cellular biochemistry of such insects is very similar to that of humans, and prolonged exposure to these chemicals can also negatively affect human cells.
We are exposed to pesticides by consuming contaminated water and food with pesticide residues exceeding the limits
Studies have shown that among the human organs most negatively affected are the colon and breast, causing inflammation and cancer, as pesticides accumulate over years of exposure to small doses.
This study will provide insight into the changes brought about by such pesticides in the cells lining the large intestine and how the damage caused by these chemicals can increase the risk of colon cancer, as well as speed up the progression towards more aggressive tumours, which can also become resistant to current chemotherapy treatments.
During her visit to the CMMB on November 27, Sonya Sammut, ambassador for Organic and Sustainable Food, expressed the need for more cooperation between farmers, researchers, policymakers and legislators to drive the shift towards sustainable production and achieve Malta’s target to increase the dedicated agricultural land certified as organic from 0.6 per cent to five per cent by 2030.
The Food Systems Directorate, headed by Sammut, is well poised to bring together the various stakeholders in order to design policies, draw up legislation and resolve local agricultural issues using an evidence-based approach.
Byron Baron is an academic and a permaculture specialist.
Sound Bites
• Drought-related data based on research carried out in the past two years and compiled by the United Nations (UN) in the report ‘Global Drought Snapshot’, launched by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) at the outset of the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) climate talks in the United Arab Emirates, point to “an unprecedented emergency on a planetary scale, where the massive impacts of human-induced droughts are only starting to unfold”. Few, if any, hazards claim more lives, cause more economic loss and affect more sectors of society than drought.
• A recently published study by Trinity College Dublin, spanning 106 sites across eight European countries, showed that despite tightened pesticide regulations, commonly used agricultural pesticides significantly harm bumblebees, one of the most important wild pollinators.
https://www.tcd.ie/news_events/articles/2023/bees-are-still-being-harmed-despite-tightened-pesticide-regulations/
For more soundbites, click on: https://www.facebook.com/RadioMochaMalta.
DID YOU KNOW?
• 40 per cent of the global population works in agriculture, making it the single largest employer in the world.
• Conventional farming brings about soil erosion, deforestation, contaminated soil and water resources, and biodiversity loss.
• Sustainable agriculture has three main pillars: environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity.
• Implementing sustainable agriculture can involve various approaches, including organic, free-range, low-input, holistic and biodynamic systems.
• Organic farming typically requires 2.5 times more labour than conventional farming but may yield up to 10 times the profit if properly marketed.
For more trivia, see: www.um.edu.mt/think.