Analysis of pesticide use in the Third World often focuses on the forces of supply
(manufacturers and marketers} or demand (users), neglecting or trivializing the role of what
is often the most powerful force, the local govern-ment. Governments can determine which
pesticides are imported, how they are distributed, if their price to the farmer is subsidized,
who applies them and under what conditions, how much is applied, and how educated and
aware users and consumers are about their dangers. Thus governments play an extremely …