"pesticides" news and stories

The newest pesticide to be approved? It's a nasty one. Methyl iodide, for use on strawberry fields. The highly reactive stuff has been deemed toxic and carcinogenic but is now licensed in 47 states, including, most recently, California, where most of our country's strawberries are grown. Environmental groups and farmworkers are in an uproar.

The San Francisco Chronicle notes that even though "more than two dozen California legislators and 54 scientists, including six Nobel laureates," signed a letter opposing registration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved of the pesticide as an alternative to methyl bromide "which was being phased out because it was found to damage the ozone layer" back in 2007.

California approved use of the chemical late last month, right before Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger left office, but opposing groups -- "Earthjustice and California Rural Legal Assistance Inc. on behalf of the United Farm Workers of America and several pesticide reform groups" -- filed suit on account of an "irresponsible and illegal" decision by the state to approve such a toxic product, which "violates the California Environmental Quality Act, the California Birth Defects Prevention Act and the Pesticide Contamination Prevention Act."

Produced by Arysta Life-Science Corp, methyl iodide is said to be injected into the ground and can be applied to the plant and the fruit but claims no detectable effect on the fruit. Farmworkers feeling the burning effects in their eyes and throats would disagree.

It seems that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is supposed to, you know, protect our environment, is about as effective as a teacher letting kids slack on their homework. Documents have recently leaked -- thanks to a Colorado beekeeper -- that show that the EPA approved of the pesticide clothianidin in 2003, which is knowingly toxic to bees and is already banned in Germany, France, Italy and Slovenia, reports Grist.

Not only do bees ensure the life cycle of plants (so to kill them in order to grow more plants seems painfully counterproductive), they also create honey, which is as diverse in flavor as the fields of flowers around a hive, and in its raw form is even believed to counteract allergies. (Honey from your area contains a small dose of your area's pollen, much like a vaccine.) But frankly, that's all shot to dust if this pesticide stays on the market.

Introduced in spring 2003 by German agrichemical manufacturer Bayer, despite warnings and the need for proper tests on how it would affect bees, clothianidin was used in billions of plants along the corn belt. And in 2009, Bayer made about $262 million in sales, reports Grist.

Not so coincidentally, bees have been dying off steadily ever since, from what researchers call colony-collapse disorder. Like other pesticides, clothianidin is "taken up by a plant's vascular system and expressed through pollen and nectar," Grist cites from the Pesticide Action Network of North America (PANNA), which leaked the EPA documents with the organization Beyond Pesticides.

Stroll the aisles at your local natural foods store. Notice anything? Along with the sandalwood scent and fair-trade coffee comes higher prices, especially for organic produce. When you stop to think about it, it might seem kind of odd; after all, organic farmers don't use all those conventional chemicals and fertilizers, so there would seem to be a lower overhead. Right?

Turns out it's not that simple. Citing a University of Wisconsin study, The Seattle Times points out that there are many factors contributing to the higher price of organic produce -- including start-up costs (converting land from conventional farming to certified organic takes three full years), rotation farming (to maximize natural fertilization), and hands-on cultivation (as a means of pest control). It all results in more work for a lower yield, meaning lower profits for the farmer -- and higher prices in the natural foods aisle.

So why bother eating organic? The two biggest reasons: fewer pesticides and (potentially) more nutrients. A 2007 study funded by the European Union showed that organic fruits and vegetables can contain up to 40 percent more antioxidants than their conventionally grown brethren. (Even more astounding, organic milk had a whopping 60 percent more antioxidants and essential fatty acids than conventional milk.) In some cases organic foods don't show any extra nutritional benefit (as Time recently reported), but the environmental benefit still remains.

Just as our thoughts are turning to farm-fresh summer produce, here comes this bit of good news: the Environmental Protection Agency has announced a ban on endosulfan, a toxic pesticide related to DDT and one of the last of its kind to remain on the market in the U.S.

The ban may have come too late for this growing season, but by next year we could all be enjoying a whole bevy of veggies that are free of endosulfan residues: cucumbers, summer squash, green beans, lettuce and tomatoes. These, according to WhatsOnMyFood.com, are some of the produce with the highest traces of endosulfan. Celery, apples, peaches and kale are also affected.

Besides those of us who thrill at the sight of big leafy green baskets of kale, farm workers are also celebrating the ban. It was their union that led the charge in challenging a decision by the federal government eight years ago that growers could still use endosulfan with some restrictions. Since then more and more scientific studies have pointed to the hazards of a chemical compound that (like its cousin DDT) has a propensity to accumulate in the bodies of humans and wildlife. Tests in lab animals have demonstrated endosulfan's toxic effects on the nervous system as well as on the kidneys, liver and male reproductive organs. (No doubt lab animals are celebrating the ban, too.)

Starting today, the UK supermarket chain, Waitrose, is launching a new project that will promote the sale of  less-than-perfect seasonal fruits and vegetables, in addition to their standard produce. They will be offered at a discounted rate, 50p to £1 off from the original price, and marketed as being ideal for use in cooking. Supermarkets have long been criticized for only wanting to buy and sell totally unblemished products, a stance than has furthered farmer's efforts to produce hearty produce, sometimes at the expense of flavor or through an increase use of pesticides. With the new plan, not only will more produce be used, but consumers will gradually be introduced to the idea that not ever apple or tomato is always perfectly round or perfectly red.

Think of it as shopping at a discount store where the products have tags indicating that there is a manufacturer's defect, like a small run in the side or a crimp in the hem, because the principal is similar. The quality of the product will be the same, if not better, but the goods will not be quite as pretty. The range will include will include year-round fruits like rhubarb and Bramley apples, in addition to seasonal plums, cherries, pears and berries.

Not every strawberry can be without a slightly smushed edge from shipping nor can every pear be perfectly pear shaped. With a discount as incentive, Waitrose is hoping that its customers will see those things, too.

 

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