Farmers strive to provide high-quality, delicious, affordable, and safe food for consumers but they have to contend with a number of challenges, including Mother Nature and pests. To protect their crops from potentially devastating insects, weeds and diseases they rely on plant science innovations, including pesticides.
Agricultural pesticides encompass herbicides, which control weeds; fungicides, which protect against disease-causing organisms; and insecticides, which control insects and mitigate potential damage. Pesticides are also sometimes used in public green spaces and many Canadians use them in and around their homes to control unwanted pests.
Canada has one of the most stringent pesticide regulatory systems in the world that ensures the products farmers use are safe for them, the environment and consumers. And yet, many myths persist about pesticides. Below, you will find five of the most common myths about pesticides, and the truth about them.
MYTH: Pesticides are unnecessary.
FACT: Farmers contend with 30,000 different weeds, 10,000 insects, and 3,000 diseases. Pesticides help them protect their crops and our food.[1]
It’s estimated that about 820 million people around the world go hungry every day.[2] By increasing food productivity, farmers can help reduce food insecurity. But growing a successful crop comes with challenges, one of them being the insects, weeds and diseases that can wipe out entire crops. It’s estimated that without pesticides we’d lose about half of our crops globally to pests[3]. Pesticides help keep pests in check, which means consumers can have access to high quality and affordable food all year round.
MYTH: Pesticides are not safe.
FACT: Health Canada regulates organic and conventional pesticides to ensure they are safe for people and the environment.[4]
An immense amount of research, investment and oversight goes into ensuring every pesticide used by Canadian farmers is safe for consumers and the environment. In fact, it can take more than a decade and $350M to bring a new pesticide to market.[5]
Health Canada’s more than 300 scientists[6] are responsible for reviewing the science behind both organic and synthetic pesticides to ensure that they do not pose any unacceptable risks to human or environmental health.
Once in use, Health Canada re-evaluates registered pesticides at least every 15 years, making sure they look at the latest available science and adhere to the highest safety standards.
MYTH: Pesticides are bad for biodiversity.
FACT: Without pesticides and biotech crops, farmers would need almost 44 per cent more land to grow the same amount of food, threatening valuable wildlife habitats.
By using pesticides and biotechnology, farmers can get the most out of their land. That efficiency means they need less land to grow their crops, helping to leave valuable wildlife habitat untouched and protect biodiversity. In fact, without plant science technologies Canadian farmers would need to farm 35 million more acres to grow the same amount of food they do today[7] – that’s roughly the size of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island combined[8][9].
MYTH: Pesticides benefit farmers but not consumers.
FACT: Pesticides help keep food affordable for Canadians. Without pesticides and biotech crops, an average Canadian family would pay up to $4,500 more for food per year.[10]
Pesticides protect crops from pests, which help farmers grow a more abundant food supply. Without plant science innovations, prices would be 45% higher on average for many food staples[11].
MYTH: Pesticide residues on food are harmful.
FACT: Tiny amounts of pesticide residues that may be on some foods do not pose a safety risk. A consumer would have to eat 28,000 strawberries every day for a lifetime to have any adverse effects from pesticides.[12]
The vast majority of food in Canada has no detectable pesticide residues. Technology is now so advanced that tests can detect infinitesimally small amounts of almost anything – think one drop of water in an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Health Canada sets what are called Maximum Residue Limits for pesticides to ensure that any pesticide residues that may be found on food do not pose a health concern.[13]
As you can see pesticides are an important tool in the toolbox for farmers helping them to safely and efficiently grow food.
[1] https://croplife.ca/facts-figures/pesticides-in-canada/
[2] http://www.fao.org/3/ca5162en/ca5162en.pdf
[3] https://pesticidefacts.org/topics/necessity-of-pesticides/
[4] https://croplife.ca/protecting-people-planet/pesticide-regulations/
[5] https://croplife.ca/protecting-people-planet/pesticide-regulations/
[6] https://croplife.ca/protecting-people-planet/pesticide-regulations/
[7] https://helpingcanadagrow.ca/
[8] https://croplife.ca/facts-figures/pesticides-in-canada/
[9] https://helpingcanadagrow.ca/
[10] https://croplife.ca/facts-figures/pesticides-in-canada/
[11] https://helpingcanadagrow.ca/
[12] https://www.safefruitsandveggies.com/
[13] https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/consumer-product-safety/pesticides-pest-management/public/protecting-your-health-environment/pesticides-food/maximum-residue-limits-pesticides.html