Invited by International Indian Treaty Council, the FAO Pest and Pesticides Management team traveled to Guatemala from 28 July to 2August 2024, to understand the situation of pesticide use, impacts and management in the Indigenous Peoples communities. The mission focused on gathering information for developing pesticide management policies and regulations to protect the health and the environment of Indigenous Peoples.
Community leaders, farmers and representatives of various organizations talked about their reality, the challenges they face and their traditional agricultural practices. Their testimonies will be portrayed in a video soon to be released on Indigenous Peoples in Guatemala and their agriculture.

Meeting people and collecting information
The FAO team met over 100 farmers and fishermen from more than 10 Indigenous Peoples communities across the country. The communities’ members provided significant insights into the traditional agricultural practices that have sustained their livelihoods for generations, as well as the increasing challenges posed by pesticide use in the region. Additionally, discussions with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food and the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance highlighted the need for greater attention to the health and environmental impacts of pesticides on Indigenous communities.

Underscoring impact on their communities  
Over the past 20 years, pesticide use has surged in Indigenous territories, leading to increased health problems and environmental contamination. The traditional agri-food systems of these communities, which have historically been organic and chemical-free, are under threat from the excessive use of chemical pesticides but also because of the insufficient institutional and technical support for safe pesticide use and risk mitigation.

The introduction of pesticides without any capacity building in Indigenous communities, has led to a noticeable impact on health, with chronic diseases becoming more common. Environmental impacts include soil and water contamination, which in turn affects biodiversity and traditional farming and fishing practices.

Preserving Indigenous Agricultural Practices
Preserving ancestral Indigenous agricultural practices that have been passed down for generations, comes up as a sustainable solution to the uncontrolled use of pesticides. These practices, rooted in a deep respect for nature and land, can help maintain the green farming systems that allow Indigenous Peoples to produce, eat and sell their products, thus ensuring food security and safety, economical income and healthy ecosystems.  

Mr Baogen Gu, Senior Agricultural Officer at FAO and part of the mission to Guatemala highlights: “We confirm the need of inclusive pesticide management policies that respect the tradition and rights of Indigenous Peoples. We understand that protecting these communities is not just a matter of health and environmental sustainability, but also a question of human rights and cultural preservation “.

Continuing to work towards this goal, the team will present its findings in the next FAO/WHO Joint Meeting on Pesticide Management (JMPM) that will take place in October of 2024. This will present a great opportunity to amend the Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management to align it with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).