In this section:
Brief History
Pesticide Use on Factory
Livestock Farms
Pesticides and Animal Feed
Pesticides and Public Health
Regulation of Pesticides
Pesticides Not to be
Confused with Fertilizers
Alternatives to Pesticides:
Integrated Pest Management
Related Information:
Factory Farming
Animal Feed
Genetic Engineering
Pesticides are chemicals used to eliminate or control a
variety of agricultural pests that can damage crops and
livestock and reduce farm productivity. The most commonly
applied pesticides are insecticides (to kill insects),
herbicides (to kill weeds), rodenticides (to kill rodents), and
fungicides (to control fungi, mold, and mildew). Of these
pesticide classes, herbicides (weed killers) are the most widely
used. Today, over 1 billion tons of pesticides are used in the
US every year.1
A Brief
History
Pesticides are not a modern invention. Elemental sulfur was used
by ancient Sumerians to protect their crops from insects.
Medieval farmers and scientists experimented with chemicals
ranging from arsenic to lead on common crops. Nineteenth century
research focused on more natural techniques involving compounds
made with the roots of tropical vegetables and chrysanthemums.2 In 1939, Dichloro-Diphenyl-
Trichloroethane, or DDT was discovered to be extremely effective
and rapidly became the most widely used insecticide in the
world. Twenty years later, serious concerns about the human
safety and biological impacts of DDT led 86 countries to ban its
use.3
The invention of DDT coupled with dramatic increases in
crop yields in the 1950's kicked off what many call the
"pesticide era." Today, more than 20,000 pesticides are
registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
resulting in a multibillion-dollar industry in the United States
alone.4
Pesticide
Use on Factory Livestock Farms
There are numerous chemical pesticides used to control insects
and other pests in livestock facilities. Industrial farms
apply these chemicals directly to the skin, fur and feathers of
livestock such as cattle, pigs and poultry in order to kill off
flies, mites, spiders, cockroaches, ticks and other pests.5
Even though these problems can be reduced without the use
of toxic chemicals, industrial agriculture relies on pesticides
to counteract the filthy conditions inside livestock facilities.
Improved cleanliness inside farm facilities, fly traps and the
use of higher quality feed could all help to minimize these
problems6 without posing any risks
to human, animal or environmental health.
Pesticides
and Animal Feed
Approximately 37% of the world's grain and 66% of U.S. grain is
used for livestock feed.7 This grain is grown by intensive farming
operations that use massive quantities of pesticides while
producing problems such as pesticide resistance in insects and
weeds, and pollution of nearby water supplies with toxic
chemicals.8 Many grain crops are genetically modified, so that the
plants are bred either to contain pesticides within their entire
genetic makeup or to withstand direct application of chemical
pesticides or herbicides. Furthermore, when grain is grown with
pesticides and then fed to livestock, pesticide residues
accumulate in the animals' fatty tissue. When humans eat the
meat and dairy products derived from these animals, we're
exposed to the toxic ingredients in the pesticides and are at
risk of developing health problems as a result.9 However, the most direct route to pesticide
exposure is through ingesting produce with pesticide residues.
Pesticides and Public
Health
Pesticides are a public health concern and have been linked to a
range of diseases and disorders. Many chemical pesticides are
known to cause poisoning, infertility and birth defects, as well
as damage the nervous system and potentially cause cancer.10Although it
is widely understood that exposure to pesticides is dangerous to
humans, research has shown that many people in the US carry high
levels of pesticides in their bodies.11
According to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, the average American child between the ages of
six and eleven carries four times the acceptable level of
pesticides called organophosphates (which are known to cause
nerve damage).12 Scientists
studying the effects of chemical pesticides have found that
exposure to small doses of these toxins during the fetal stage
and childhood can cause long-term damage.13
Regulation
of Pesticides
Pesticides are tested and approved for use by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), which establishes "tolerances," or
maximum residue levels, that limit the amount of a given
pesticide that can safely remain in or on a food."14 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is
then responsible for monitoring pesticide levels on fruits and
vegetables, while the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is
charged with the task of surveying pesticide residues in meat,
eggs and dairy products.
Many believe that the EPA's methods for testing
pesticides are insufficient because they only examine the
effects of exposure to pesticides at high doses. Without
conducting research concerning long-term exposure to low doses
of pesticides, these studies neglect to base safety levels on
real-life situations. Moreover, the tests examine the effects of
a single chemical, whereas people are typically contaminated
with small amounts of hundreds of pesticides at any one time.15
The FDA is also criticized for its inadequate monitoring
of pesticide levels on fruits and vegetables. The Environmental
Working Group reports that the FDA fails to test the majority of
produce consumed in the US, and as a result Americans regularly
consume food-bearing residues of illegal pesticides that are not
approved for use in the US.16
Pesticides
Not to be Confused with Fertilizers
Modern agriculture production methods can include heaving
applications of other chemicals besides pesticides, namely
fertilizers. There is a wide range of fertilizers used on food
and feed crops - from organic compost for diversified crops to
petrochemicals used on conventional commodity crops. While
pesticides are specifically designed to eliminate pests, fungi
and weeds, fertilizers are chemical compounds that promote
growth and yield.
Alternatives
to Pesticides: Integrated Pest Management
Many sustainable farms rely upon Integrated Pest Management
(IPM) as an alternative to the heavy use of pesticides. IPM is a
growing movement amongst farms of all sizes that incorporates a
variety of techniques to eliminate pests while minimizing damage
to the environment. For instance, an IPM farm will grow
pest-resistant crop varieties, use predatory insects to kill
plant-eating pests, employ mechanical pest traps, and eliminate
nesting areas by plowing under harvested crops. Chemical and
natural pesticides are used only as a last resort.
Another technique used by sustainable farmers is crop
rotation, which involves planting crops in different places each
season in order to replenish nutrients removed from the soil by
a particular plant. This practice breaks pest cycles and at the
same time allows the soil to naturally replenish itself.
What You Can Do
When you prepare conventional food, there are some measures you
can take to reduce your intake of pesticides. Be sure to wash
your fruits and vegetables thoroughly. Peeling your food is also
an option that can help reduce the consumption of pesticides.
For meat and dairy products, it is best to consume those foods
that contain less fat, as that is where pesticides typically
accumulate in animals. Purchase skim milk or low-fat dairy
products and remove the fat from cuts of meat before you cook
them.
But the best way to avoid consuming synthetic pesticides
along with your food is to eat organic produce, meat and dairy
products. Organic food is grown and processed without being
treated or supplemented with synthetic fertilizers or
pesticides, although it can be treated with natural pesticides.
Look for the USDA certified organic label on your foods.
And even better than simply looking for organic food,
frequent a local farmers' market or farm. This way, you can ask
the farmer directly about his or her pest control methods. Some
sustainable farms aren't certified organic, but don't use any
pesticides at all. The only way to find out is to ask!
Did You Know?
- A 2004 analysis of Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
data revealed that 100% of blood and urine tests from subjects
they monitored showed pesticide residues. Two insecticides –
chlorpyrifos and methyl parathion – were found at levels up to
4.6 times greater than what the US government deems
acceptable.18
- In a joint study conducted by scientists from the CDC,
the University of Washington and Emory University, researchers
found that pesticide levels in test subjects dropped to
undetectable levels upon switching to an organic diet. When the
subjects switched back to a non-organic diet, pesticide
residues almost immediately became detectable.19
- According to Cornell entomologist David Pimentel, "It
has been estimated that only 0.1% of applied pesticides reach
the target pests, leaving the bulk of the pesticides (99.9%) to
impact the environment."20
| 
