Plastics are seeping into farm fields, food and eventually human bodies. Can they be stopped?

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Category: Science/Environment

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. clog / klɑːɡ / (v.) – to block something so that things can’t move through easily
    Example:

    If not cleaned regularly, dust and dirt can clog the air filter, preventing it from cleaning the air.


  2. waterway / ˈwɒt ərˌweɪ / (n.) – a way or path for water to pass through
    Example:

    The city government regularly cleans the waterways to prevent floods.


  3. unavoidable / ˌʌn əˈvɔɪ də bəl / (adj.) – impossible to prevent
    Example:

    Living in a big city comes with unavoidable delays because of heavy traffic.


  4. itty-bitty / ˌɪt̬ iˈbɪt̬ i / (adj.) – very small
    Example:

    She was already full, so she only ate an itty-bitty piece of cake.


  5. the outskirts / ði ˈaʊtˌskɜrts / (n.) – the areas of a town or city that are far from the center
    Example:

    He prefers living on the outskirts because it’s more peaceful.


Article

Read the text below.

Around the world, plastics are finding their way into farm fields—coated over the ground in fertilizer, wrapped around seeds, stretched as tarps to lock in moisture and as plastic waste from other industries.


It’s a problem that has long littered the landscape in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, where a plague of plastic bags, locally known as buveera, is woven into the fabric of daily life. They show up in layers of excavated dirt roads and clog waterways. But now, they can be found in remote areas of farmland, too. Some of the debris includes the thick plastic bags used for planting coffee seeds in nurseries.


Climate change makes agricultural plastic, already a necessity for many crops, even more unavoidable for some farmers. Meanwhile, research continues to show that itty-bitty microplastics alter ecosystems and end up in human bodies. Scientists, farmers and consumers all worry about how that’s affecting human health, and many seek solutions. But industry experts say it’s difficult to know where plastic ends up or get rid of it completely, even with the best intentions of reuse and recycling programs.


According to a 2021 report on plastics in agriculture by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, soil is one of the main receptors of agricultural plastics. Some studies have estimated that soils are more polluted by microplastics than the oceans.


“Microplastic is a very big challenge. We experience so many plastics and that is brought up by the reason of having so many plastic factories or industries of bottling companies for water, for juice, and then for energy drinks, so they process so many plastics,” said Nicholas Kayondo, who is a crop scientist and a farmer in the outskirts of the Ugandan Capital Kampala.


Some farmers say agricultural plastic, already a necessity for many crops, is becoming even more necessary as climate change fuels extreme weather. But for those tending the fields that microplastics end up in, there’s a growing sense of frustration.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Roads and waterways in several cities, including Kampala, have been troubled by plastic waste. How does plastic waste affect your city or community? What kinds of plastic waste do you see most often in your area? What does your community do with it? Discuss.
  • Industry experts say it’s difficult to get rid of agricultural plastic completely, even with the best intentions of reuse and recycling programs. How does this opinion make you feel? Do you think reuse and recycling programs are effective? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • According to Nicholas Kayondo, a crop scientist and a farmer, microplastic is a very big challenge. In your country, what do you think is the biggest environmental challenge? How do you think this challenge is affecting people’s daily lives in your country? Discuss.
  • What is your government doing to address this environmental problem? Do you think the actions taken are enough? Why or why not? Discuss.