Building a healthier future through safer practices in Manipur’s fields
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Chongboi Haokip, MCIHort
Manipur's hills face a crisis that harms soil, water, and health. Economic pressure drives poppy farming and heavy use of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. Excess nitrogen weakens plants and increases pests. Broad-spectrum pesticides kill helpful insects and soil organisms. Steep slopes allow rain to move chemicals straight into streams. Communities have an opportunity to restore these landscapes through shared action and better knowledge.
I care about our community and environment. My work with the United Kingdom's Environment Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs taught me how small actions drive lasting change. Better land use strengthens ecosystems, supports health, protects biodiversity, and shapes the legacy we leave. When we act together with a clear purpose, we protect our landscape, health, and homes. It creates a safer future for the next generation. Health depends on a cared-for environment. You may accumulate a great deal of wealth from opium poppy cultivation or trade, but would it be worth it if you ended up with a serious illness as a result ?
The Weight of Survival
Farmers in Manipur, Afghanistan, and Mexico face debt and limited options. They turn to poppy on fragile slopes. This choice harms their health and their surroundings( Mansfield Nov 29, 2019; Sangpui & Kapngaihlian Aug7, 2021). The cultivation process demands intensive chemical inputs - fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides applied without proper training or protective equipment. Traders, not agricultural experts, could dictate application rates, and soil testing might be virtually unknown in these remote areas.
The consequences ripple through entire ecosystems. Excess nitrogen weakens plant immunity and attracts diseases (Malewar Feb 27, 2025). Excess nitrogen weakens plants and raises pest pressure – Anh et alDec 2023, creating a cycle that demands ever-increasing chemical applications.
In Manipur's hills, the evidence speaks with clarity. Steep slopes cleared for poppy cultivation lose precious topsoil with each rainy season. Poppy cultivation in Manipur's hills has triggered deforestation and heavy chemical use. Large slopes are cleared, then sprayed with fertilizers and pesticides on fragile upland soils. Steep poppy fields lose soil quickly during rain. Forest staff link these areas to rising landslides and rapid topsoil loss. (The Sangai Express Jan 19, 2021).
Fertilizers, weed killers, and pesticides create health risks. Runoff carries chemicals into streams, harming aquatic life. Vulnerable groups face the highest exposure, and farmers often spray without protection, increasing direct contact with toxins - The Frontier Manipur May 16, 2022. Pesticide exposure among women needs more attention. Women and children face higher risks with limited protection. Many suffer health effects in silence. (Asmare et al Sept 13, 2022; UNICEF Jan 2018).
Lessons from Across Mountains
Afghanistan's experience reveals patterns that Manipur must learn from. Farmers under debt pressure apply heavy chemical inputs dictated by creditors (UNODC, Sept 2009). Income from poppy enables investment in wells and irrigation systems, opening new land for cultivation. Yet when enforcement suddenly reduces poppy acreage, these agricultural systems collapse - alternative crops generate insufficient income to maintain the infrastructure (Mansfield Nov29, 2019). Abrupt eradication campaigns destroy livelihoods without replacing them and pushing families deeper into poverty (UNODC, Nov 2023).
Mexico's highlands echo these struggles. Opium poppy farms in places like Mexico use large amounts of fertilizer, pesticides, and water. These fields occupy valuable land, pollute local water, and strain limited supplies. Also, irrigation reduces water for communities, and nearby households face chemical exposure - (DEA Museum June 6, 2022)
Processing of opium latex releases large volumes of hazardous chemicals. These substances create greater environmental harm than the farming inputs used on the crops. Millions of tons and litres of chemicals enter soil and water every year through lab waste and destroyed stockpiles (UNODC2006, 45).
Yet hope emerges even here. There are reports on community case studies from the Mexican highlands on slope restoration and spring protection, which show improved spring water quality and reduced waterborne diseases, and these need to be studied.
The Promise of Unity
My work with the United Kingdom’s environmental related showed me that sustained community action protects land and health. Each careful choice in land use supports public health, protects biodiversity, and strengthens what future generations inherit.. These same principles that guide sustainable agriculture in developed Nations apply with equal force to Manipur's highlands.
Communities drive recovery when they lead the process. Village councils can share information on risks. Youth groups can test water and report findings. Families can move away from water sources, and cooperatives support legal crops with steady markets. Households can plant fruit trees and vegetables of high value to diversify income and strengthen resilience.
Strengthening Community Action
Government support strengthens community efforts. Better roads, relevant fundings and storage help farmers reach legal markets. Safe water systems protect health. Those responsible for health can track pollution and related illnesses and guide responses. Soil and water restoration needs sustained work over many years.
Practical Steps Forward
As a way forward, healing needs harm reduction, strong community leadership, and steady support for legal livelihoods. Soil needs time to regain strength, and water sources need protection to clear pollutants. Families need trust, guidance, and resources to choose safer paths.
When communities lead this process rather than having solutions imposed from outside, restoration becomes durable and self-sustaining. Immediate steps can reduce harm while current farmers develop longer-term alternatives. Use herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers only with proper training and protective gear. Measured application protects health, wildlife, and water system. Attend training sessions to stay informed. A good practice is to test the soil before adding fertilizers to avoid excess and pollution, and to wear protective gear when handling chemicals. These responsible decisions support productive harvests today while safeguarding the community's future.
Our Shared Tomorrow
We each carry responsibility for protecting Manipur's hills and supporting safer futures for all. It is not an abstract environmental concern - it involves the water our children drink, the soil that will feed coming generations, and the health of families working to survive. When communities unite around restoration, when knowledge replaces exploitation, and when support arrives with respect rather than punishment, battered landscapes can heal.
Streams can recover and support fish again, forests can return and stabilise slopes, and hills can support life instead of risking landslides and contamination. Families can farm without fear of chemical harm, and children can use streams without health risks. Change will take time, but it is possible!
Communities in Mexico and Afghanistan show what becomes possible through shared purpose and firm support. Manipur has the opportunity to follow this path and build its own model of community-led restoration. Good agricultural practices guide this shift. The journey begins when farmers seek training, families protect water, village councils share knowledge, youth groups monitor conditions, and cooperatives support legal crops. These steps move everyone toward safer land use. Our hills, water, health, and future depend on a united commitment to protect the land and the people who rely on it. The time to begin is now!
For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding – Proverbs 2:6 NKJV
Statement: I do not support illegal poppy cultivation. I support sustainable alternatives that strengthen society and help affected farmers in Manipur. I stand firmly behind the Manipur Government's "War on Drugs" campaign. As a strong, united community, we must work alongside government agencies that are helping farmers abandon illegal poppy farming. We, the people of Manipur, can eliminate unlawful poppy cultivation through collective effort. I call upon the entire Manipur community to unite as one team in this fight against illegal cultivation of poppy, working together to create sustainable livelihoods and a healthier future for all.
About the author: Chongboi Haokip, MCIHort, is an international development consultant specialising in agriculture, horticulture, and trade facilitation.
Manipur's hills face a crisis that harms soil, water, and health. Economic pressure drives poppy farming and heavy use of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. Excess nitrogen weakens plants and increases pests. Broad-spectrum pesticides kill helpful insects and soil organisms. Steep slopes allow rain to move chemicals straight into streams. Communities have an opportunity to restore these landscapes through shared action and better knowledge.
I care about our community and environment. My work with the United Kingdom's Environment Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs taught me how small actions drive lasting change. Better land use strengthens ecosystems, supports health, protects biodiversity, and shapes the legacy we leave. When we act together with a clear purpose, we protect our landscape, health, and homes. It creates a safer future for the next generation. Health depends on a cared-for environment. You may accumulate a great deal of wealth from opium poppy cultivation or trade, but would it be worth it if you ended up with a serious illness as a result ?
The Weight of Survival
Farmers in Manipur, Afghanistan, and Mexico face debt and limited options. They turn to poppy on fragile slopes. This choice harms their health and their surroundings( Mansfield Nov 29, 2019; Sangpui & Kapngaihlian Aug7, 2021). The cultivation process demands intensive chemical inputs - fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides applied without proper training or protective equipment. Traders, not agricultural experts, could dictate application rates, and soil testing might be virtually unknown in these remote areas.
The consequences ripple through entire ecosystems. Excess nitrogen weakens plant immunity and attracts diseases (Malewar Feb 27, 2025). Excess nitrogen weakens plants and raises pest pressure – Anh et alDec 2023, creating a cycle that demands ever-increasing chemical applications.
In Manipur's hills, the evidence speaks with clarity. Steep slopes cleared for poppy cultivation lose precious topsoil with each rainy season. Poppy cultivation in Manipur's hills has triggered deforestation and heavy chemical use. Large slopes are cleared, then sprayed with fertilizers and pesticides on fragile upland soils. Steep poppy fields lose soil quickly during rain. Forest staff link these areas to rising landslides and rapid topsoil loss. (The Sangai Express Jan 19, 2021).
Fertilizers, weed killers, and pesticides create health risks. Runoff carries chemicals into streams, harming aquatic life. Vulnerable groups face the highest exposure, and farmers often spray without protection, increasing direct contact with toxins - The Frontier Manipur May 16, 2022. Pesticide exposure among women needs more attention. Women and children face higher risks with limited protection. Many suffer health effects in silence. (Asmare et al Sept 13, 2022; UNICEF Jan 2018).
Lessons from Across Mountains
Afghanistan's experience reveals patterns that Manipur must learn from. Farmers under debt pressure apply heavy chemical inputs dictated by creditors (UNODC, Sept 2009). Income from poppy enables investment in wells and irrigation systems, opening new land for cultivation. Yet when enforcement suddenly reduces poppy acreage, these agricultural systems collapse - alternative crops generate insufficient income to maintain the infrastructure (Mansfield Nov29, 2019). Abrupt eradication campaigns destroy livelihoods without replacing them and pushing families deeper into poverty (UNODC, Nov 2023).
Mexico's highlands echo these struggles. Opium poppy farms in places like Mexico use large amounts of fertilizer, pesticides, and water. These fields occupy valuable land, pollute local water, and strain limited supplies. Also, irrigation reduces water for communities, and nearby households face chemical exposure - (DEA Museum June 6, 2022)
Processing of opium latex releases large volumes of hazardous chemicals. These substances create greater environmental harm than the farming inputs used on the crops. Millions of tons and litres of chemicals enter soil and water every year through lab waste and destroyed stockpiles (UNODC2006, 45).
Yet hope emerges even here. There are reports on community case studies from the Mexican highlands on slope restoration and spring protection, which show improved spring water quality and reduced waterborne diseases, and these need to be studied.
The Promise of Unity
My work with the United Kingdom’s environmental related showed me that sustained community action protects land and health. Each careful choice in land use supports public health, protects biodiversity, and strengthens what future generations inherit.. These same principles that guide sustainable agriculture in developed Nations apply with equal force to Manipur's highlands.
Communities drive recovery when they lead the process. Village councils can share information on risks. Youth groups can test water and report findings. Families can move away from water sources, and cooperatives support legal crops with steady markets. Households can plant fruit trees and vegetables of high value to diversify income and strengthen resilience.
Strengthening Community Action
Government support strengthens community efforts. Better roads, relevant fundings and storage help farmers reach legal markets. Safe water systems protect health. Those responsible for health can track pollution and related illnesses and guide responses. Soil and water restoration needs sustained work over many years.
Practical Steps Forward
As a way forward, healing needs harm reduction, strong community leadership, and steady support for legal livelihoods. Soil needs time to regain strength, and water sources need protection to clear pollutants. Families need trust, guidance, and resources to choose safer paths.
When communities lead this process rather than having solutions imposed from outside, restoration becomes durable and self-sustaining. Immediate steps can reduce harm while current farmers develop longer-term alternatives. Use herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers only with proper training and protective gear. Measured application protects health, wildlife, and water system. Attend training sessions to stay informed. A good practice is to test the soil before adding fertilizers to avoid excess and pollution, and to wear protective gear when handling chemicals. These responsible decisions support productive harvests today while safeguarding the community's future.
Our Shared Tomorrow
We each carry responsibility for protecting Manipur's hills and supporting safer futures for all. It is not an abstract environmental concern - it involves the water our children drink, the soil that will feed coming generations, and the health of families working to survive. When communities unite around restoration, when knowledge replaces exploitation, and when support arrives with respect rather than punishment, battered landscapes can heal.
Streams can recover and support fish again, forests can return and stabilise slopes, and hills can support life instead of risking landslides and contamination. Families can farm without fear of chemical harm, and children can use streams without health risks. Change will take time, but it is possible!
Communities in Mexico and Afghanistan show what becomes possible through shared purpose and firm support. Manipur has the opportunity to follow this path and build its own model of community-led restoration. Good agricultural practices guide this shift. The journey begins when farmers seek training, families protect water, village councils share knowledge, youth groups monitor conditions, and cooperatives support legal crops. These steps move everyone toward safer land use. Our hills, water, health, and future depend on a united commitment to protect the land and the people who rely on it. The time to begin is now!
For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding – Proverbs 2:6 NKJV
Statement: I do not support illegal poppy cultivation. I support sustainable alternatives that strengthen society and help affected farmers in Manipur. I stand firmly behind the Manipur Government's "War on Drugs" campaign. As a strong, united community, we must work alongside government agencies that are helping farmers abandon illegal poppy farming. We, the people of Manipur, can eliminate unlawful poppy cultivation through collective effort. I call upon the entire Manipur community to unite as one team in this fight against illegal cultivation of poppy, working together to create sustainable livelihoods and a healthier future for all.
About the author: Chongboi Haokip, MCIHort, is an international development consultant specialising in agriculture, horticulture, and trade facilitation.