Title: Pestcides in Organic Farming
Headings: About Organic Produce
About Organic Produce
WHAT MAKES PRODUCE "ORGANIC"?
ORGANIC PRODUCE AND PERSONAL HEALTH
ORGANIC PESTICIDES VERSUS SYNTHETIC PESTICIDES
WHY HAVEN'T WE HEARD THIS BEFORE?
WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN?

Content: It seems unlikely that 7 applications of rotenone and pyrethrin are really better for the environment than 2 applications of imidan, especially when rotenone is extremely toxic to fish and other aquatic life. It should be noted, however, that we don't know for certain which system is more harmful. This is because we do not look at organic pesticides the same way that we look at conventional pesticides. We don't know how long these organic pesticides persist in the environment, or the full extent of their effects. When you look at lists of pesticides allowed in organic agriculture, you find warnings such as, "Use with caution. The toxicological effects of [organic pesticide X] are largely unknown," or "Its persistence in the soil is unknown." Again, researchers haven't bothered to study the effects of organic pesticides because it is assumed that "natural" chemicals are automatically safe. WHY HAVEN'T WE HEARD THIS BEFORE? For obvious reasons, organic farmers have done little, if anything, to dispel the myth that "organic = chemical/pesticide-free". They would only stand to lose business by making such a disclosure.