Backlash of policy dismantling in the production of invisibility: when pesticides cease to be a public problem

Authors

  • Emilie Coudel PhD in Rural Development Economics, Researcher, Mixed Research Unit SENS, Center for International Cooperation in Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD), Research Institute for Development (IRD), University of Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France; INCT Odisseia, Observatory of Socioenvironmental Dynamics, Brasilia, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8272-8051
  • Beatriz Abreu dos Santos Master degree in Sustainable Development, PhD Candidate, Center for Sustainable Development, University of Brasilia; INCT Odisseia, Observatory of Socioenvironmental Dynamics, Brasilia, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0641-8347
  • Danielle Wagner Silva PhD in Rural Development, Professor, Instituto de Biodiversidade e Florestas, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará, Santarém; INCT Odisseia, Observatory of Socioenvironmental Dynamics, Brasilia, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2735-9537
  • Mariana Piva PhD in Environmental Sciences, Reseacher, Center for Sustainable Development, University of Brasilia; INCT Odisseia, Observatory of Socioenvironmental Dynamics, Brasilia, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2795-5857
  • Stéphanie Nasuti PhD in Geography, Professor, Center for Sustainable Development, University of Brasilia; INCT Odisseia, Observatory of Socioenvironmental Dynamics, Brasilia, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7321-5155
  • Ricardo Theophilo Folhes PhD in Geography and Environmental Sciences, Professor, Center for Advanced Amazonian Studies (NAEA), Federal University of Pará, Belém; INCT Odisseia, Observatory of Socioenvironmental Dynamics, Brasilia, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5518-7357
  • Marie-Paule Bonnet PhD in Hydrology, Researcher, Unité mixte de recherche Espace Dev, Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), Centre national pour la recherche scientifique (CNRS), Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement (INRAE), Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France; INCT Odisseia, Observatory of Socioenvironmental Dynamics, Brasilia, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3950-4041
  • Denise Valéria Lima MSc. Sustainable Development; PhD candidate, Center for Sustainable Development, University of Brasilia; INCT Odisseia, Observatory of Socioenvironmental Dynamics, Brasilia, Brazil
  • Carlos José Sousa Passos PhD in Environmental Sciences, Associate Professor, University of Brasilia, Brazil; INCT Odisseia, Observatory of Socioenvironmental Dynamics, Brasilia, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0553-9342
  • Ione Nakamura Master in Human Rights, Universidade Federal do Pará; Public Prosecutor, Public Ministry of the State of Pará, BrazilMaster in Human Rights, Universidade Federal do Pará; Public Prosecutor, Public Ministry of the State of Pará, Brazil
  • Gracivane Rodrigues de Moura Farmer, Sindicato de Trabalhadores Rurais, Agricultores e Agricultoras Familiares de Santarém – STTR, Santarém, Brazil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18472/SustDeb.v14n1.2023.45495

Keywords:

Family Agriculture , Social Participation , Brazil, Amazon, Citizen Observatory

Abstract

Brazil is one of the world’s largest consumers of pesticides, but their impacts on the population are still rarely recognised as a public problem. During the governments of Lula and Dilma, several social participation spaces were created to discuss this issue. In this article, we discuss how dismantling these spaces has contributed to producing invisibility regarding the impacts of pesticides. We were confronted with this issue when building a citizen observatory in the metropolitan region of Santarém, Pará, in partnership with family farmer unions. Based on interviews, participant observation, and focus groups, we analyse how the dismantling of pesticide regulation has occurred nationally and how it influenced the territorial level. Despite research showing the impacts of pesticides, the progressive dismantling of social participation spaces, such as the Regional Forum to Combat the Impacts of Pesticides in Santarém, has led to the invisibility of the impacts caused by their use.

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Author Biographies

Emilie Coudel, PhD in Rural Development Economics, Researcher, Mixed Research Unit SENS, Center for International Cooperation in Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD), Research Institute for Development (IRD), University of Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France; INCT Odisseia, Observatory of Socioenvironmental Dynamics, Brasilia, Brazil

Emilie Coudel studies the processes that bring rural actors to engage in agroecological transitions. She strives for a more democratic science, particularly processes of knowledge co-production that allow farmers and their organizations to better negotiate public policies.

Beatriz Abreu dos Santos, Master degree in Sustainable Development, PhD Candidate, Center for Sustainable Development, University of Brasilia; INCT Odisseia, Observatory of Socioenvironmental Dynamics, Brasilia, Brazil

Beatriz has been dedicated to studying the territorial pressures and the resistances of family farming and traditional communities against the advance of neoextractivism in the Baixo Tapajós region in the Brazilian Amazon. She is particularly interested in understanding the role of rural youth in the defense and governance of the territory.

Danielle Wagner Silva, PhD in Rural Development, Professor, Instituto de Biodiversidade e Florestas, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará, Santarém; INCT Odisseia, Observatory of Socioenvironmental Dynamics, Brasilia, Brazil

As an educator, researcher and extensionist in the Amazon of Pará, Danielle has experience in agroecology, family farming and public policies for rural areas. She develops research on issues related to the dynamics of reproduction and social transformation of family farming, focusing on public policies and processes of social organization and production systems based on Agroecology.

Mariana Piva, PhD in Environmental Sciences, Reseacher, Center for Sustainable Development, University of Brasilia; INCT Odisseia, Observatory of Socioenvironmental Dynamics, Brasilia, Brazil

Mariana Piva has been dedicated to carrying out interdisciplinary research involving socio-environmental issues, mainly related to subjects such as rural-city relations, insurgent citizenship, quality of life, family farming, agroecology and citizen-science.

Stéphanie Nasuti, PhD in Geography, Professor, Center for Sustainable Development, University of Brasilia; INCT Odisseia, Observatory of Socioenvironmental Dynamics, Brasilia, Brazil

Stéphanie Nasuti studies processes of collective organization, governance and environmental and territorial management among rural peoples. She advocates for a science engaged in the recognition of the plurality of knowledge systems and epistemic justice.

Ricardo Theophilo Folhes, PhD in Geography and Environmental Sciences, Professor, Center for Advanced Amazonian Studies (NAEA), Federal University of Pará, Belém; INCT Odisseia, Observatory of Socioenvironmental Dynamics, Brasilia, Brazil

Ricardo Folhes researches topics such as rural development; agrarian and land dynamics; territorial mobility and social dependence.

Marie-Paule Bonnet, PhD in Hydrology, Researcher, Unité mixte de recherche Espace Dev, Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), Centre national pour la recherche scientifique (CNRS), Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement (INRAE), Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France; INCT Odisseia, Observatory of Socioenvironmental Dynamics, Brasilia, Brazil

Marie-Paule Bonnet researches topics such as hydrology and water quality, sustainable use of renewable resources, and develops follow-up modeling activities with riverine populations and rural actors in the Amazon.

Denise Valéria Lima, MSc. Sustainable Development; PhD candidate, Center for Sustainable Development, University of Brasilia; INCT Odisseia, Observatory of Socioenvironmental Dynamics, Brasilia, Brazil

Researcher in socio-environmental governance, participatory methodologies and building intercultural dialogue.

Carlos José Sousa Passos, PhD in Environmental Sciences, Associate Professor, University of Brasilia, Brazil; INCT Odisseia, Observatory of Socioenvironmental Dynamics, Brasilia, Brazil

Biologist and environmental scientist, expert in ecotoxicology and environmental epidemiology and toxicology. Runs research projects in the interface of the environment, health and sustainability.

Ione Nakamura, Master in Human Rights, Universidade Federal do Pará; Public Prosecutor, Public Ministry of the State of Pará, BrazilMaster in Human Rights, Universidade Federal do Pará; Public Prosecutor, Public Ministry of the State of Pará, Brazil

Ione Missae da Silva Nakamura holds a Master's degree in Human Rights (PPGD/UFPA), is specialist in Environmental Law and Public Policies (PPGD/UFPA), a post-graduate degree in Agrarian and Land Law and Public Policies (UFPA and EGPA), and a Bachelor's degree in Law (UFPA). She is part of the Public Ministry of Pará, as Agrarian and Land Justice Prosecutor of the Castanhal region and coordinator of the Nucleus of Agrarian and Land Issues - NAF/MPPA. She was Agrarian and Land Justice Prosecutor in the Lower Tapajos region (including Santarém) from 2012 to 2021.

Gracivane Rodrigues de Moura, Farmer, Sindicato de Trabalhadores Rurais, Agricultores e Agricultoras Familiares de Santarém – STTR, Santarém, Brazil

Gracivane Moura, family farmer in the community of Tapará Grande, region of Várzea, in Santarém. Elected director of the STTR of Santarém from 2012 to 2021, Secretary of the Regional Forum to Combat the Use of Pesticides from 2017 to 2021; President of the Municipal Health Council for two terms.

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Published

2023-04-30

How to Cite

Coudel, E., Santos, B. A. dos, Silva, D. W., Piva, M., Nasuti, S., Folhes, R. T., … Moura, G. R. de. (2023). Backlash of policy dismantling in the production of invisibility: when pesticides cease to be a public problem. Sustainability in Debate, 14(1), 99–135. https://doi.org/10.18472/SustDeb.v14n1.2023.45495

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Vol. 14 No. 1 (2023): Sustainability in Debate / Sustentabilidade em Debate

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