In collaboration with medical officials, Center for Environmental Justice (CEJ) organized medical clinics to pre-screen agricultural workers at risk for kidney disease resulting from exposure to arsenic in pesticides. In several of these clinics (as well as outside of the clinics), CEJ conducted small discussion groups at which farmers were given brochures highlighting the dangers of illegal and highly dangerous pesticides and notifying them of their rights. As a result of these discussion groups, CEJ ascertained that most farmers did not have awareness about the dangers of the pesticides being used, laws in place, nor alternatives to using pesticides. CEJ has now created “Green Store” labels for those sellers marketing safer pesticides and is currently petitioning the government for better enforcement concerning the control of the most dangerous and illegally imported pesticides.
