Food safety is compromised by two main causes: pesticide residues and heavy metals, both stemming from the necessary use of pesticides in agriculture to control pests and from contamination in the agroecosystem, including soils and water.

According to Arturo Medina, general manager of the Association of Hass Avocado Producers and Exporters of Peru (ProHass), he expressed his concern about "the misuse of pesticides that can affect health and the environment" and stressed the importance of responsible and regulated use of these products.

Regarding heavy metals, Medina stated that "Cadmium is an impurity that we can find in phosphate fertilizers and others, leaving traces of cadmium in the soil. The amounts may be very small, but little by little they accumulate."

ProHass has undertaken actions to address these problems, such as forming a working group with experts to map contaminated areas, proposing new methodologies for detecting and mitigating Cadmium, and raising with the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (Midagri) the importance of a national research plan.

Medina also provided recommendations to farmers, focusing on integrated pest management and the use of registered pesticides. In addition, he suggested conducting soil and water analyses each growing season, choosing inputs with minimal heavy metal content, and monitoring crops before harvest.

Source: agraria.pe