Entre « usage contrôlé », invisibilisation et externalisation. Le précariat étranger face au risque chimique en agriculture intensive

Based on the testimonies and career paths of Moroccan workers hired on seasonal contracts through the International Organization for Migration (IOM), this article shows how the governance of chemical risk in agriculture has authorized the circulation of toxic substances in the workplace. By setting up a regulatory framework for exposure, the “controlled use” of pesticides produces “clandestine” contamination and makes it possible to sidestep responsibility for its health effects. This paper explores the question of how the IOM's seasonal immigration process helps organize both the invisibilization of occupational exposure to pesticides and the outsourcing of the pathologies it causes.     

Transition pathways towards a robust ecologization of agriculture and the need for system redesign. Cases from organic farming and IPM

The growing criticism of intensive agricultural practices that lead to a deterioration of natural resources and a decrease of biodiversity has progressively led to more environmental constraints being put on agricultural activities through an “ecologization” of agricultural policies. The aims of these policies have been to protect environmentally sensitive areas, to improve groundwater quality and, more recently, to develop organic farming and/or reduce pesticide use. However, these efforts are still a far cry from a robust ecologization of agricultural practices. In order to identify the conditions for the implementation of such an ecologization, the changes in practices from conventional agriculture towards organic farming and integrated pest management (IPM) are investigated using a sociological study of farmers’ trajectories, coupled with the ESR (Efficiency-Substitution-Redesign) framework developed by biological and agricultural scientists. This combined approach reveals that a robust ecologization of agricultural practices requires us to take into account the specific and variable tempo of farmers’ trajectories and to redesign not only technical agricultural systems but also interactions within larger agrifood systems.     

Devenir victime des pesticides. Le recours au droit et ses effets sur la mobilisation des agriculteurs Phyto-victimes

This article analyses the effects of legal action on the mobilisation of farmworkers suffering from illnesses they link to the use of pesticides. It draws on a qualitative survey conducted with members of the Phyto-Victims Association, a protest organization comprising sick farmworkers, their families and the legal professionals who support them. Using this material, we retrace the paths taken by these farmworkers to obtain recognition for their status as pesticide “victims”. We describe the ambiguous effects of the law on this process at the individual and collective levels. We show how the law helps the farmworkers to see their illness as an injury requiring compensation and to consider themselves as “occupational victims”. We also suggest that legal action prevents a full exploration of the responsibilities involved, and may trap farmworkers in a reductive face-off with pesticide producers.