A Mission to advance Pesticide Management
Through the FAO Caribbean Pesticide Management Project, Carmen has seen a heightened awareness on proper systems for pesticide management, including on the gendered risks of pesticide use and exposure.
Carmen Van Dijk -Deputy Director Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries & former Chair of the Coordinating Group of Pesticide Control Boards in the Caribbean ©FAO/Firhaana Bulbulia
"Planes with pesticides would spray the fields where my father toiled to ensure banana production in the 70’s’.”
Carmen recalls her childhood, growing up on a Banana Plantation, in the coastal district of Saramacca in Suriname.
Starting as a farming teacher and later becoming one of the executives of the company, Carmen’s father would spend long hours in the fields, planting and tending to crops. This is where Carmen’s passion for agriculture stemmed and from a young age she also became involved in planting. Although the banana industry provided sustenance for Carmen and her family, it brought with it a heavy burden of family loss and a determination to see better pesticide management in Suriname.
Agriculture is a large part of the culture of Suriname, with the coastal region providing fertile grounds for rice production and the interior for vegetables such as tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage and eggplants. Suriname imports all of its pesticides and although Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and some highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) are not permitted in Suriname, a renewed vision and classification of HHPs as Carmen desires, would see some products being used added to this list.
“The most difficult challenge that I encounter, at the moment is to change the way of thinking. When raising awareness, we often hear persons say that their ancestors used pesticides for many years without using protective equipment and lived for many years, so why should we spend money on protective equipment or not mix pesticides?”
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