Source: GENETIC LITERACY PROJECT, 4/6/21


In Part 1 of this series, we showed that pesticide use has decreased dramatically per unit of food and fiber produced, as well as decreasing on a per capita basis (per person fed), even as it has only slightly decreased in use per acre. This is because the amount of food that each acre produces (its yield) has steadily increased since 1985. Although pesticide toxicity continues to be a concern for many consumers, commonly-used pesticides have decreased in toxicity and improved in biodegradability over the years. However, debates concerning the safety of pesticides typically focus on whether...

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