Deeper Dive into Pesticides & Health
If organic produce only provides a moderate advantage in the amount of nutrients,
the amount of pesticides on one apple isn’t enough to be concerning, and it costs more…
why bother?
Consider that half of the land in the US is farmland; we should be paying attention to how it’s treated.
Just because the amount of pesticides on any given piece of produce isn’t enough to cause you harm, the impacts of eating conventionally farmed produce over time can add up. Think for a moment about how and why we use pesticides- at attack the nervous system of insects and kill or immobilize them to disrupt their endocrine systems so they can’t reproduce.
Wide-spread use impacts our environment far beyond the farm.
After a rain or extensive watering, pesticides run off into nearby waterways or into the soil- impacting the groundwater that many people drink.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), pesticides may cause adverse health effects, inlcuding cancer, effects on reproduction, immune or nervous systems. And, the regulatory system is more relaxed in the US than in European countries. The Center for Biologicial Diversity states that the United States allows the use of 85 pesticides that are banned, or are being phased out in the European Union, China or Brazil.
Agricultural workers bear the brunt of the toxicity of pesticides. The National Institute of Health (NIH) found in 2020 that globally, pesticide exposure on farm workers was associated with:
hematological alterations (blood disorders)
respiratory issues (breathing difficulties)
endocrine dysfunction (hormone issues)
neurotoxicity (brain & nervous system issues)
infertility
increased risk of some cancers
It’s a cocktail of chemicals that I don’t want harming anyone.
Enjoy time at the beach or lake?
Pesticides from farms make often runoff into waterways and can cause harmful algal blooms and sicken humans and wildlife.
According to the EPA, about half a million tons (that’s one billion pounds!) of pesticides, 12 million tons of nitrogen, and 4 million tons of phosphorus fertilizer are applied annually to crops in the continental United States. Irrigation and rainfall can lead to excess runoff, polluting our waterwats & degrading ecosystems. These chemicals can make hypoxic conditions (low oxygen levels), causing algae blooms and limit opportunities for beach days.
If we collectively aim to make decisions that are better for our health, and the health of others- and the planet we call home, we’d make the effort to buy sustainably farmed produce.
Unfortunately, there are not enough organic farms to feed the world and the costs of buying organic produce are prohibitive to many people. And, whenever possible, squeeze in some organic produce- buy into a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm box in your area, grow some of your own food, or ask farmers at your local farmers markets what pesticides they use (if any) if they aren’t certified organic.
Don’t overlook the farm stalls that aren’t certified organic- it takes three years to go through the certification process and they may be well on their way, but can’t hang out their certification yet.
Regardless of your ability to afford or find organic produce, please continue to consume fruits and vegetables - the net benefits to your health outweigh the cons.
The ”Organic” label may be the most recognizable, but it’s not the only way to determine if you’re eating produce with sustainable farming methods.
Read on to learn about biodynamic farming, regenerative farming, organic farming, small scale, and more!