Techno-philosophical considerations on the technology of pesticides

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how the technological development of pesticides (chemicals and application methods) has affected relationships between pesticides and farmers, and to show what should be kept in mind when discussing pesticides in the present day. To this end, we refer to the framework of the philosophy of technology when discussing how ethics related to pesticides are practiced, and examine the results of fieldwork interviews. First, in order to confirm the framework of the discussion, we refer to the concept of “ethics accompanying technology” proposed in the philosophy of technology, and discuss the importance of practicing ethics at sites of individual use and design, the so-called “bottom-up” type of ethical practice. As a specific example of bottom-up ethical practice, the Pesticide Reduction Movement in Fukuoka Prefecture in the late 1970s is described. Then, we review the technological development of pesticides for paddy rice farming in postwar Japan, showing that it has developed in two directions: the use of less toxic chemicals and the use of labor-saving spraying methods. Subsequently, we examine the results of fieldwork on farmers who participated in the Pesticide Reduction Movement, and show that the development of pesticide technology have had the derivative effect of weakening relationships between pesticides and farmers. Finally, based on the above insights, we discuss what should be kept in mind when discussing pesticides in the present day.