There has been a lot of information spreading worldwide in regard to organic food and organic industry. Most of them were incorrect. As a result, people who are quite knowledgeable on the subject of organic issued a response. This seemed like the perfect time for exploring the issue of pesticides.
Many studies have proven that synthetic pesticides are detriment to our health. That is the reason why more and more people turn to organic food in order to avoid pesticides. This is a great method of avoiding pesticide exposure since many studies have shown lower incidence of pesticides in organic foods. It is a fact that both conventional and organic produce crops are threatened by variety of pests. The difference is in the regulations, safety and practices they decide to apply.
Planned Pest Control
Organic farmers usually use various other methods of pest control before turning to stronger means such as applying pesticides. This is their standard procedure. As The Organic Center puts it: “What sets organic production apart is organic producers are required to use non-toxic, integrated pest, weed, and disease prevention plans prior to considering organically approved material application. Organic producers must also mitigate risks of inadvertent pesticide drift from neighboring land through buffers or timing of plantings”.
Will Allen, author of The War on Bugs, provided some answers about the pest control method and the use of organic pesticides. He is a farmer for most of his life, board member of the Organic Consumer`s Association and pioneer of the California organic movement. This makes him quite knowledgeable on this subject. Will explained that “insects, worms, mites, and weeds are usually controlled with other insects as predators (ladybugs, lacewings, soldier beetles, soldier bugs, geocris, etc.)” Only if those methods are not effective, the farmers will use other methods, such as bacterias and viruses or natural clays. Even mild sulfurs and copper, natural options, are still restricted in organic farming. As a last resort pyrethrum powder from chrysanthemum flowers is used. In addition, organic farms must have an Organic System Plan outlining three methods of pest management.
Level A
A healthy organic system is essential because by maintaining such, fewer pest problems will occur. It is really of great importance to provide a habitat for beneficial bugs such as ladybugs. This contributes to the healthy ecosystem. This level is also focused on disease prevention such as cover crops and cover rotation. The next step of the plan is implemented if these practices are not sufficient.
Level B
The focus of level B is on the introduction of parasites and insect predators as Will explained. It includes more mechanical and physical practices such as mowing, grazing, solarization and mulching. If this doesn’t suffice and additional pest management is needed, Level C steps in with the use of natural pesticides found on the National List.
Level C
The final step or resort is the use of pesticides. Organic crops must use only pesticides approved by the National Organic Program (NOP) and that have been evaluated by the EPA for safety. The conservative use of applied pesticides is in sharp contrast to conventional farming. In the state of California, conventional farms have sprayed more than 200,000,000 pounds of pesticides per year for the past 15 years.
Approved Pesticides
The EPA approves limited products to be available to organic producers to be tolerance exempt. According to The Organic Trade Association (OTA), “tolerance exemption means that EPA has evaluated the scientific data around human health related to the substance and has determined it to not be harmful.” Both types of pesticides, used in conventional and organic produce undergo the same evaluation process. Science on organic materials must be reviewed by either the NOP, mentioned above, or the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI). They evaluate soil amendments, pesticides and fertilizers used in organic produce. The growers are not allowed to use any other materials that are not found on the list of approved materials by these committees. Moreover, the National Organic Standards Board reviews National Organic Standards Board reviews these substances every five years for new information in terms of their safety.
Safety
It has been proven that organic produce has less pesticide residue on the food that comes as a final product. Eating organic food reduces the exposure to harmful synthetic pesticides because organic produce uses pesticides from natural sources and alternative practices.
The Pesticide Literature Review recommends the consumer reduce exposure to chemical pesticides due to the health risks and illness associated with them. Children and pregnant women are especially of concern about the synthetic pesticides exposure. According to a study, prenatal exposure to a chemical pesticide called chlorpyrifos affected memory and impacted the brain development. This pesticide damages the nervous system and causes low birth weight. It is associated with prostate and lung cancer as well. Many studies have also found that children exposed to this pesticide are more likely to develop asthma, lower I.Q and develop mental disorders.
Additionally, these pesticides are detrimental to the environment as well. The pesticides pollute waterways through ground water and linger in the atmosphere. They can migrate through the environment and cause a pesticide transfer. According to Safer Brand, “pesticides always end up traveling outside of their intended area of use, either by air, soil or water.”
Not All Pesticides Are Created Equal
The organic pesticides are simply natural. The pest management farmers apply is regulated in order to reduce the application of pesticide. These natural pesticides go through various reviews and a committee has to approve them. On the other hand, the synthetic pesticides are much more heavily applied and they lead to many health risks. Since the synthetic pesticides are not present in organic produce, the organic food is highly recommended. The reasons for eating organic are listed below:
- Organic food tastes better
- No genetically modified organisms ( GMOs)
- Pollution is reduced and generally less energy is used in organic production
- No artificial flavors or preservatives
- Organic food is more nutritious
- Backed by the USDA certification
- No antibiotics or hormones
- Organic farming practices support a healthy farm and the farmer
- No biosolids will be used in the growing and production of the product
- No persistent pesticides, like glyphosate ( a synthetic herbicide deemed toxic).
