Pesticide Use Increasing- Some From Organic Farming

Pesticide use in California rose in 2010 after declining for four consecutive years. The data, released by the Department of Pesticide Regulation show an increase of nearly 10 percent in pounds used from 2009 to 2010. More than 173 million pounds were applied statewide, an increase of nearly 15 million pounds from the previous year.

Sulfur, a natural fungicide used by conventional and organic farmers to control mildew, was the most-used pesticide in the state. Its use grew by 10 percent and accounted for 27 percent of all reported pesticide use. (1) Contrary to what most people believe, ‘organic’ does not automatically mean ‘pesticide-free’, or ‘chemical-free.’ In fact, under the laws of most states, organic farmers are allowed to use a wide variety of chemical sprays and powders on their crops, and sulfur is one of the most highly used ‘organic pesticides.’ Data from the National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy in Washington, DC, show that two pesticides approved for use on organic crops are the most heavily used in the United States. Oil, an organic insecticide, was the single most used pesticide in 1997, with farmers using 102 million pounds on 22 different crops that range from almonds and walnuts to cotton and strawberries. Sulfur, an organic fungicide, was the second most used pesticide on US farms in 1997; growers used 78 million pounds of sulfur on 49 different crops, ranging from alfalfa and avocados to mint and watermelons. In fact, these two organic-approved pesticides alone accounted for over 23% of all US agricultural use in 1997, with oil accounting for 56% of all insecticides and sulfur accounting for 59% of all fungicides. (2)

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These statistics raise important questions. With organic farming still representing a small percentage of total US food production, what will happen to overall pesticide use if and when organic farming expands to supply a larger percentage of US food? How heavily are pesticides being used on organic farms in the United States? What are the environmental consequences, if any from the use of these and other organic pesticides? Are these greater or less than the environmental impacts from synthetic pesticides? Are there any potential human health risks from organic pesticide use? (2) Alex Avery reports on research that revealed one-fourth of all fruits and vegetables marketed as organic had significant residues of synthetic in them. Further, nearly a third of the time when the synthetic pesticides residues were found on organic produce, they were present at a concentration even higher than the average levels found on conventional fruits and vegetables. However, if you are an organic food proponent, before throwing your food into the garbage can, realize that this research has very little to do with real food safety. The traces of synthetic pesticides on both the conventional foods and the organic foods were well below safety levels set by the government. These standards use 100-fold safety margins. This type of research is mostly a testament to our technical prowess. One part per million (1 ppm), equivalent to one second in 11.8 days, was the analytical capability in the not too distant past. Today, one part per trillion (1 ppt), equivalent to 1 second in 32,000 years, and even better are possible. These day, researchers can find anything in any thing. (3) References

1. “Pesticide use up after years of decline,” San Francisco Chronicle, December 29, 2011
2. “Growing more per acre leaves more land for nature,” Center for Global Food Issues, August 22, 2006
3. Alex Avery, “Natural Mistake,” Hudson Institute, May 29, 2002