Why is the use of synthetic or chemical pesticides harmful?
Synthetic pesticides are used to control weeds in fields and unwanted or harmful pests, such as insects and mites that feed on crops. For the past 50 years, farmers and the public have been told that chemical pesticides are essential for modern farming and to feed the world’s population, when this isn’t true. Many food crops, including fruits and vegetables, still contain pesticide residues after being washed or peeled. There is growing consensus in the scientific community that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can adversely affect people and especially children. Many studies have shown that farmers and farm workers who are exposed to toxic chemicals on the farm often develop cancers later in life. For example, in a study carried out in the Windsor, Ontario area from 2000-2002, it was discovered that women who have lived or worked on a farm are about three times more likely to develop breast cancer as women who have never worked on a farm. Studies have also shown that chil
