Dear Editor,
Some of our farmers and vendors have joined the world of artificial ripening of fruits and vegetables with the use of chemical agents. At least one such agent, Ethephon, is on sale at the Country Agri Centre in Vreed-en-Hoop, but anecdotal evidence suggests that the practice is not widely known among consumers. Listening to the responses of the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud and two other officials, to questions from persons who called in to a recently televised programme, one did not get the impression that there is an awareness among the authorities of this relatively new practice.
The practice of artificial ripening is carried out in many countries, using different protocols that often involve the use of selected agents and selected types of fruit. For instance, in the United States, the National Organic Standard Board (NOSB) recommends the use of ethylene for post-harvest ripening of tropical fruits and de-greening of citruses. Also, the United Kingdom’s Soil Association permits the use of ethylene to ripen banana and kiwi (Soil Association Organic Standards, rev 16.4, June 2011). But it should be noted that in Bangladesh, the Pure Food Ordinance (Amendment) Act 2005 prohibits the use of calcium carbide, formalin, and pesticides such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) which were found to be associated with artificial fruit ripening and its negative health consequences. A lot of information is available on the internet to anyone who might be interested in the subject.
A search of the website of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations did not reveal any specific regulations to manage the practice of artificial fruit ripening using chemical agents. Rather, the organisation appears to rely on its general standards for food safety and safe farming practices. However, the information available from other sources gives an indication of the position of the FAO in relation to the subject being discussed. One example is the FAO’s support for Global Organic Market Access (GOMA) in the development of Asia Regional Organic Standard (AROS).
It is difficult to know what drives the practice in Guyana. But what is known, is that the fruits and vegetables business is one that requires very careful management to avoid losses from spoilage, due to the maturity of crops at the same time, as well as transportation and distribution issues. Added to these is the problem of praedial larceny which forces farmers to harvest their crops before full maturity and hence have to induce ripening. Also, one needs to consider the ability of our farmers to meet the demand for seasonal fruits and vegetables during out-of-season periods. Finally, there may very well be other socio-economic factors that drive the practice, but in the absence of any official information, this remains an area subject to speculation.
Meanwhile, due to potential health hazards, the Guyanese public needs to be assured that the necessary legal and regulatory framework exists to ensure controlled use of Ethephon, as well as others that might be in use. Monitoring measures similar to what obtains in respect of the use of pesticides during the cultivation of crops would be a good start, complemented by mass awareness raised among farmers, sellers and consumers regarding the practice and its possible health hazards. Media, lawmakers, researchers, and technology experts can play a vital role in this respect.
Yours faithfully,
Derick Lowe
