Civic groups accuse the government of ignoring the chronic betel nut problem; Taiwan, China ranks first in the world for oral cancer; pesticide additives pose harms; they demand the government take responsibility for management
Last month, "Upstream and Downstream" published a report titled "Revealing Taiwan's Biggest Pesticide Loophole – The 30-Year Betel Nut Shared Trade," pointing out that there are obvious loopholes in betel nut management. Although the Council of Agriculture recognizes betel nut as a "fruit product," it has long ignored the pesticide needs of betel nut and overlooked illegal pesticide use in betel nut orchards. The Food and Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare does not recognize betel nut as a "food," let alone conduct sampling and management actions. The contradictions and finger-pointing among government agencies allow betel nut with excessive pesticides and unidentified additives to continue being chewed and consumed by consumers, also causing an enormous burden on the ecological environment.
After the news was published, on the 8th of last month (July), the Council of Agriculture invited the Office of Food Safety, the Food and Drug Administration, and other agencies to a cross-ministerial meeting to draft betel nut-related control measures, but a month has passed and no concrete measures have been proposed. The "Taiwan Betel Nut Control and Oral Cancer Prevention Alliance" (abbreviated as the Taiwan Betel Nut and Cancer Control Alliance), together with the "Taiwan Alliance for the Promotion of Youth Rights and Welfare" and dozens of betel nut cancer victims, held a press conference today (the 5th) to accuse the government of long being unwilling to face the accumulated abuses and chronic problems of the betel nut industry and of disregarding consumer health.
The Taiwan Betel Nut and Cancer Control Alliance stated bluntly that the government has always been passive in the face of "the source of the world's number one oral cancer rate." After decades of prevention slogans, it still cannot produce an effective prescription. The annual medical health insurance expenditure and social costs are difficult to estimate. It called on the government to bring betel nut under regulation as soon as possible. "If we don't bring it under regulation now, the holes will never be fully patched!"
In response, Council of Agriculture Chairman Chen Chi-chung said that in the future, it may refer to the "Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act" and enact a "Betel Nut Control and Management Regulation." He also stressed that the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine will at the latest establish permitted pesticides for betel nut before the end of the year, and that before they are officially announced, all pesticide use in betel nut fields is illegal. Agricultural authorities will visit pesticide stores for inspections and called on businesses not to sell pesticides to betel nut farmers. "Those who violate the rules will be fined!"
FDA: If there isa "Betel Nut Control and Management Regulation," thena management mechanism can be established
In response, Cai Shuzhen, head of the Food Division of the Food and Drug Administration, said, "The betel nut itself is a carcinogen, and neither its nature nor the related additives meet the standards for foods that are nutritious to the body." "Being considered food must be because eating it provides nutrition or health benefits. The purpose of food is quite different from these habit-forming items." She stressed that betel nut, betel leaf, red lime, white lime, and other additives are still difficult to recognize under the "food register."
However, she also pointed out that in terms of management logic, even if "it is not food, it can still be viewed from another angle." She gave the example that in previous cross-ministerial meeting discussions, the Council of Agriculture proposed that it could be managed by referring to the concept of tobacco hazard prevention. "With tobacco hazards themselves, everyone knows smoking carries cancer concerns, but certain specific groups still have a need to use it. So if betel nut can move toward the concept of betel nut control, then at that point cross-ministerial discussions can properly address everything from front-end field management and pesticide management in cultivation to end-point cancer prevention."
Regarding the cross-ministerial consensus on the betel nut issue, Council of Agriculture Chairman Chen Chi-chung pointed out that in the future, it may refer to the "Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act" and enact a "Betel Nut Control and Management Regulation." At the same time, on betel nut import control, it should later also follow domestic betel nut pesticide regulations. "Otherwise, if we only restrict domestic production but do not control imports, this will also affect consumer health and safety."
How should betel nut pesticide use be managed? Field management to be established before the end of the year; at this stage, selling pesticides to betel nut farmers is illegal
The Council of Agriculture recognizes betel nut as a fruit product, but has not opened pesticide use for betel nut orchards, which has long led producers to abuse pesticides. This not only exposes users to the risk of pesticide contact, but also caused the large-scale bee deaths in the mountain areas of Nantou last year.
Feng Haidong, Director-General of the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine of the Council of Agriculture, said that local improvement stations in betel nut-producing areas (Taichung Station and Kaohsiung Station) have already been contacted, and that data collection will soon be conducted on betel nut cultivation management techniques and possible pest and disease control needs. "We need to first understand the pest and disease needs of betel nut, know which main problems need to be dealt with, and only then may it be possible to further discuss recommended pesticides. It is not something that can be opened just because we say so." He admitted that the announcement schedule is "not that soon."
However, August will again enter the pesticide application period for betel nut in central Taiwan. At present, betel nut in central Taiwan has urgent pesticide needs. How should the Council of Agriculture manage this? Council of Agriculture Chairman Chen Chi-chung said in an earlier interview that Taiwan cultivates large areas of betel nut orchards, the betel nut industry sustains the livelihoods of many farming families, and it also attracts a huge betel nut-chewing population. His own family has grown betel leaf for many years. "So the government should not use the three-no policy of not encouraging, not guiding, and not prohibiting to ignore the fact that it exists." He promised that before the end of this year, he would establish "field production safety management" for betel nut, and after it is established, the Council of Agriculture will be responsible for sampling and inspection on the production end.
Today he also responded again, "The (drafting) progress on recommended pesticides should of course be as fast as possible. Everyone is very concerned about the fate of the bees this year." Before the Council of Agriculture announces pesticide-related permits, all pesticide use in betel nut fields is illegal. Agricultural authorities will visit pesticide stores for inspections and called on businesses not to sell pesticides to betel nut farmers. "Those who violate the rules will be fined!"