Compendium of Pesticide Hotspots in Bangladesh

Craig Meisner

Development Economics Research Group

The World Bank

Study description

• Purpose: To estimate and target pesticide use hotspots for major crops in Bangladesh.

• Method: Combines a recent farm-level pesticide use survey by the World Bank (2003) and agricultural production data from the Government of Bangladesh Agricultural Census (2001).

• Impact: Allows decision-makers to better target areas for intervention (e.g. pesticide restrictions, awareness programs, IPM, etc.)

Data and location

• World Bank survey coverage: 1072 farmers in 11 districts, producing at least the major crops of bananas, beans, cabbage, eggplant, mango, potato, rice and sugarcane.

• Agricultural Census 2001 coverage: District crop production in 1994-1995 and 1999-2000 for the above crops and all 23 districts in Bangladesh.

Methodology

Crop Production DataAgricultural Census, 1994 & 1999

(8 major crops in 23 districts)

World Bank survey, 2003(1072 farmers in 11 districts)

Pesticide Use Intensities- by crop, area, chemical class, etc.

Note: For a detailed explanation of the methodology, please refer to the learning module, “Methodology for Identifying Pesticide Hotspots: The case of Bangladesh” (Meisner and Dasgupta, 2004).

Projection to Other Areas- calculation of total pesticide use per

selected crop and area

Pesticide use trends, 1994-2000

Note: Pesticide use for bananas, beans, cabbage, eggplant, mango, potato, rice and sugarcane only.

Accounting for pesticide toxicity

Note: Pesticide use for bananas, beans, cabbage, eggplant, mango, potato, rice and sugarcane only.

Insecticides, Herbicides and Fungicides

Note: Pesticide use for bananas, beans, cabbage, eggplant, mango, potato, rice and sugarcane only.

WHO Ia & Ib pesticide use

Note: Pesticide use for bananas, beans, cabbage, eggplant, mango, potato, rice and sugarcane only.

Pesticide use by chemical class:

carbamates, organochlorines and organophosphates

Note: Pesticide use for bananas, beans, cabbage, eggplant, mango, potato, rice and sugarcane only.

Prevalence of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Note: Pesticide use for bananas, beans, cabbage, eggplant, mango, potato, rice and sugarcane only.

Pesticide use by chemical class and POPs

Note: Pesticide use for bananas, beans, cabbage, eggplant, mango, potato, rice and sugarcane only.

Pesticide use in rice production

Pesticide use in potato production

Pesticide use in bean production

Pesticide use in cabbage production

Pesticide use in eggplant production

Pesticide use in sugarcane production

Pesticide use in banana production

Pesticide use in mango production