Jordan is one of the many developing countries in the world that has yet to start a campaign for the production of organic food. Until that happens, people will in most cases have to make do with agricultural produce that is treated with pesticides, insecticides and sometimes hormones, to the detriment of their health.

Given the fact that the right to health is one of the basic human rights, the ministries of health and agriculture should start exerting a determined effort to educate the public about the danger posed to their health by produce thus grown and then initiate a widespread drive to grow as many organic crops as possible.

It is well documented that insecticides, hormones and pesticides are harmful to health. Sometimes they are carcinogenic, and the incidence of cancer is already quite high in the country.

The population needs to be informed about the agricultural products that are sprayed with harmful chemicals.

Organically produced vegetables and fruit may be more expensive, but if one is not willing to pay the price, at least one has the right to be informed and warned about the dangers of treated produce to health, just as smokers are warned about the causal link between their habit and cancer and heart diseases.

In all cases, chemicals commonly used to protect vegetables and fruit from insects and other threats must be better controlled and supervised by authorities, to prevent abuse that comes at the expense of the public health.

If production of organic food is initiated and takes hold, besides giving people better choices when buying, it will also happen that the bigger the production, the lower the cost, making it affordable to a wider sector of the society.

Where things stand now on the issue, Jordanians’ health is at risk, and the outcome is both pain and high costs for people and country alike.
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