Risk factors associated with the use and management of pesticides in the production of nopal (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill)

Abstract

Objective: To verify the risk factors associated with the use of agrochemicals, through the degree of compliancewith Mexican regulations on the Good Use and Management of Pesticides (BUMP).Design/Methodology/Approach: One-hundred producers, selected from a group of 300 producers who make up the register of the Sistema Producto Nopal in Morelos, Mexico, answered the questionnaire. The questionnaire included plot information, market data, and open questions about the compliance with the checklist for the recognition of areas where Good Use and Management of Pesticides (BUMP) standards are applied in the primary production of vegetables of the National Service of Health, Food Safety and Agro Food Quality (SENASICA)Results: Out of all the one-hundred producers surveyed, 57 were recognized in BUMP and 43 were not. Whether producers complied or not with these regulations and could have access to the export market depended on the crop area and the economic income it represents. The greatest non-compliance was caused by the non-authorized use of pesticides in the production of nopal, which represents a contamination risk for the worker, the environment, and the consumers.Study Limitations/Implications: Studies should be carried out about the impact on the health of farm workers and the environment resulting from the inappropriate use of pesticides.Findings/Conclusions: Although the implementation of BUMP in the nopal cultivation minimized the risks of contamination or poisoning, the non-authorized use of synthetic pesticides for its cultivation poses contamination risks to the worker, consumer, and environment. Therefore, strategies must be generated in the domestic market to guarantee the same food safety than in the international market.