The Green Fund Executing Unit of the Ministry of Planning and Development, is proud to support the efforts of the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute’s (CARIRI) development of an eco-friendly and cost effective intervention using indigenous bacteria capable of biodegrading organophosphate based pesticides.
Through this programme, CARIRI intends to reduce the wide-scale and excessive application of pesticides as an essential part of augmenting crop yields as practice that can lead to environmental pollution and health hazards. CARIRI propose to achieve this goal by testing the efficacy and cost effectiveness of biodegrading organophosphate based pesticides in number of agricultural fields in East Trinidad.
CARIRI’s project objectives include:-
- Evaluate the environmental impacts of using organophosphate based pesticides and the by-products created from biodegradation of these chemicals.
- Identify indigenous bacterial populations capable of biodegrading and transforming organophosphate based pesticides.
- Identify safer and more cost-effective options than current practices associated with organophosphate based pesticides.
- Identify interventions to reduce the impacts of these pesticides and their by-products when leaving the cultivated area.
Successful implementation will prove the microbial degradation method will be advantageous to decontaminate areas that have been polluted by pesticides. This method proposes to reduce some of the pollution in the environment and prevent future bioaccumulation of some toxic metabolites and pesticides in the ecosystem. The products derived from the effects of microbial degradation on pesticides may produce carbon forms which may be reused by other organisms in the ecosystem and increase the soil fertility.
The Green Fund Unit of the Ministry of Planning and Development, was established to provide financial assistance to eligible community groups and organizations for activities related to: reforestation, remediation, environmental education and public awareness of environmental issues and conservation of the environment. The Fund is capitalized by a Green Fund Levy of 0.3% on the gross sales or receipts of companies operating in Trinidad and Tobago. To date, the Green Fund Unit has contributed approximately $28 million to support environmental projects within Trinidad and Tobago. For further information on how you can access financial assistance for your next environmental project, contact the Green Fund Unit at (868) 225 – 3313.
For further information on CARIRI’s initiative, visit their website www.cariri.com and visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/caribbeanindustrialresearchinstitute/.
Environmental Pride is National Pride!