Environmental Issues

Crop pesticides are substances used for controlling or destroying the unwanted and usually harmful plants (weeds) or animal pests that hamper the growth, the processing or the storage of the crops. They also refer to the substances that regulate the growth of the plants (for instance the fruits), defoliants, desiccants or the substances that are applied to the harvested crops to prevent the deterioration of such crops once stored or when transporting them. (FAO 6)
While the pests have remained a nuisance to the farmers, the question of whether the farmers should use crop pesticides or other organic means of pest control has been a subject of protracted debate. Crop pesticides contain various tough and carcinogenic chemicals that are very effective in destroying the pests. On the other hand the chemicals contained in the pesticides are harmful to the health of the farmers as well as that of the consumers. There should be a trade off between the pesticides and the other pest control methods. Thesis statement An Integrated Pest Management (IPM) technique should be applied in which all the available pest control methods should be integrated and reasonable amounts of crop pesticides should be applied subject to strict control and regulation by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR).
For many years, California has been dependent on the crop pesticides to control the various pests that infest the crops. California passed the first legislation to regulate the pesticide use in 1901, but since then, various laws have been enacted. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) is the body that regulates the sale and use of pesticides by evaluating the pesticides, ensuring they are registered, licensing the dealers and carrying out tests on the final produce to ensure the pesticides do not leave harmful substances on the produce.
 During the early years of pesticide use, the aim of regulation was to protect the consumers from fraudulent dealers but the concern about their negative environmental effects was not a major concern. However, in 1927, a law was passed to control the levels of arsenic-based sprays on the horticultural crops. After the Second World War, farming methods were improved and the use of pesticides became very rampant. The farmers used the pesticides with limited knowledge of the harmful effects and as a result, they destroyed the wanted crops and the increased levels of toxic substances killed the growers livestock and bees. The farmers too were injured by these pesticides.
An author by the name Rachel Carson wrote a publication in 1962 that strongly criticized the manner in which the pesticides were used without any concern for their negative impacts on the users and consumers health or the environment. This publication, which was known as the Silent Spring, raised some awareness and ignited a debate on the environmental conservation. There were increased concerns about the airborne toxins, the chronic health implications of the pesticides and the effects of the pesticides in ground water which led to the passing of various laws to address these concerns. In particular, the law required a research to be conducted to give details of the specific properties of pesticides that lead to contamination of water. To consolidate these regulations into one body, the DPR was established in 1991 to regulate the use of pesticides in crops and on animals, in soil and in water. (California Environmental Protection Agency)
The use of pesticides has always been an issue of controversy. The proponents of the use of pesticides argue that with the growth in population, the pesticides help in boosting the food production so as to ensure food security while the opponents of pesticides argue that the negative effects of these pesticides overwhelm the benefits derived from them. The farmers, who have to make decisions regarding whether or not to use the pesticides, are usually left confused by this raging debate. Therefore, an in depth analysis of the pros and cons of pesticide use could help them make informed decisions when adopting the Integrated Pest management technique.
Pesticide use results to several negative health and environmental effects. The workers in the farms get into contact with the pesticides when mixing, applying and handling the sprayed crops as well as the harvests. In his book, Pesticides a toxic time bomb in our midst, Levine Marvin J. (2007), observes that out of the 25 most commonly used pesticides, five are harmful to the central nervous system, eighteen of them are harmful to the lungs as well as the eyes, eleven are responsible for cancerous growth of cells, seven disorders the genetics and ten lead to reproductive health complications. The above figures are indicative of the fact that each pesticide will have more than one harmful effect in the human body.
The workers in the farms are required to protect themselves by spraying the crops on less windy days, wearing protective gear while in the fields and complying with the rules regarding the reentry duration. The re entry days is the minimum period that the workers should keep off the fields after the crops have been sprayed. However, in some instances, the workers ignore the re entry days required thus exposing themselves to the chemicals. A case in point is that of the Fresno County incident which Levine Marvin J narrates
In California, suspected pesticide related illnesses and suspected work-related illnesses and injuries are reportable conditions. On July 31, 1998, the Occupational Health Branch of the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) received a report from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) of a pesticide exposure incident in Fresno County involving thirty four farm workers, both adults and minors. The findings indicated that the workers became ill after early reentry into a cotton field that had been sprayed with three pesticides. (34)
These negative effects on the health come from the direct contact with the pesticide itself or as a result of living in a polluted environment. The pesticides lead to pollution of the water, soil degradation and air pollution. How a particular pesticide affects the environment depends on the chemical and physical characteristics of the particular pesticide. For instance, some pesticides evaporate back to the atmosphere causing air pollution. Other pesticides are washed by the rain and they flow to the rivers and dams causing water pollution.
Some of the pesticides alter the acidity or alkalinity of the soils rendering them unfit for cultivation. Persistent use of pesticides could also lead to pest resistance, a situation in which the weeds or pests develop their own fighting mechanism to counter the chemicals in the pesticides. Reports indicate that the negative effects are not only felt by the workers in the farms, but also the people who are far away from the farms through the environmental pollution. Over 90 of the pesticides applied in California drift away from the fields. (Levine 195)
Notwithstanding the negative impacts of the pesticides, they continue to be used by the crop farmers even today. The pesticides are considered as the fastest, most effective and economical method of pest control. The speed with which the pesticides destroy the pests is very high compared to the rest of the methods. In large scale cotton farming as happens in California, the pesticides are sprayed in the fields and within a few days, the pests are eliminated. Such pests could take many months to destroy if labor intensive cultural methods are applied. This reduces the costs of managing the fields, which translates to low cost of clothing and fresh produce.
Researchers have developed some form of very sophisticated pesticides that control the growth of the plants. Pesticides can be used to boost the important area of the plant. For instance, they prevent the fruits and flowers from falling prematurely or they can improve the quality of the leaves. The pesticides are used to protect the farm produce against the pests once they are harvested. These preservatives helps increase food security especially when the population increases. Large scale farming can never be economically carried out unless the pesticides are used. Moreover, the companies that manufacture crop pesticides offer employment opportunities people and raise revenues, in form of taxes, to the government.
Since the benefits of pesticide use as well as the social costs are relatively high, a choice has to be made by the farmers and other stakeholders regarding the best method to apply. Other than the pesticides, the other methods of pest control are Classical biological control, use of mechanical methods, cultivation and use of more resistant varieties of crops. The biological control involves the use of natural enemies to the pests while the mechanical methods include the physical destruction of the pests.
However, just like the pesticides, none of these methods is exclusively economical and effective in pest control. The best technique towards the control of the pests should be to use the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) technique which will incorporate all the pest control methods. IPM is an ecological method that provides long term solution to pest management while ensuring that the environmental impacts are reduced. The Integrated Pest Management technique proposes that the farmers should take measures that discourage the development of pest populations and keep pesticides and other interventions to levels that are economically justified (FAO 6)
Under the IPM, the decisions taken while controlling pests should depend on the history of the pest, the nature of the plant, the weather conditions, and any other information that may help the farmers to make decisions that are environmental friendly. Sometimes the use of pesticides is not necessary and when used, the timing is more accurately done depending on the weather conditions. Fewer pesticides are used under this technique and the risks related to pesticide use are minimized. (Marer 60)
Although the IPM method permits reduced use of pesticides, the crop growers should always use the only pesticides that meet the requirements of California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR). They should always buy the pesticides that are certified by this regulatory authority.
In the light of the foregoing discussions, it is important that the growers of cotton and other farm produce in California clearly understand the health and environmental implications of pesticide use. They should be educated on the Integrated Pest Management technique which is more effective, economical and reduces harmful environmental effects.