PARADISE INTERRUPTED | The story behind the statistic: Before we blame the farmer

A recent St Lucia Times article reported that, according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Saint Lucia ranks sixth in the world for pesticide use intensity.It was a headline that was always going to get people's attention. Within hours, the comments began pouring in."This is why so many people have cancer.""The farmers are poisoning us.""I'm going to reconsider buying local."