Ag Chemicals : Why You Should Care

The reliance on toxic pesticides to produce food is neither safe nor sustainable. Since living organisms adapt, toxic pesticides eventually lose their effectiveness. This leads chemical companies to develop different pes- ticides to attack resistant weeds and pests — pesticides that are perhaps more toxic, or perhaps toxic simply in a different way.

But while new pesticides can control pests for a while, it is never a long-term solution. Rather, pesticides — the chemicals that are supposed to be a solution — turn into problems themselves, as their toxic effects on non-tar- get populations, including humans, become apparent.

Given the growing body of scientific evidence pointing to harm, we believe that the costs are too high and do not justify the short-term benefits of controlling pests with toxic chemicals. 

CONSUMER REPORTS Food Safety and Sustainability Center, March 2015