How widely are pesticides used?
More than one pound (0.453592 kg) of pesticide is manufactured each year for every man, woman and child on the planet. And the amount used is increasing rapidly. The global agrochemical sales for 1997 was US$ 29,540 million, increased to US$ 31,000 million in 1998 and totalled up to US$ 30,070 in 1999. 3 If we do not use pesticides ourselves, why should we be concerned about the use of pesticides? The pesticides that farmers apply to their crops may end up as residues on our food or as contaminants in our drinking water. When people are poisoned by pesticides as they work in fields or factories, society is harmed by their suffering and the loss of their productivity. Pesticides often kill birds, fish and other animals besides the targeted pest. This disrupts ecological systems and erodes the genetic diversity of the earth. 4 Just how dangerous are pesticides? Pesticides vary in how they affect organisms, including people, and in how long they persist in the environment.
More than one pound (0.453592 kg) of pesticide is manufactured each year for every man, woman and child on the planet. And the amount used is increasing rapidly. The global agrochemical sales for 1997 was US$ 29,540 million, increased to US$ 31,000 million in 1998 and totalled up to US$ 30,070 in 1999. • If we do not use pesticides ourselves, why should we be concerned about the use of pesticides? • The pesticides that farmers apply to their crops may end up as residues on our food or as contaminants in our drinking water. • When people are poisoned by pesticides as they work in fields or factories, society is harmed by their suffering and the loss of their productivity. • Pesticides often kill birds, fish and other animals besides the targeted pest. This disrupts ecological systems and erodes the genetic diversity of the earth. • Just how dangerous are pesticides? • Pesticides vary in how they affect organisms, including people, and in how long they persist in the environment. The Wor
