Pesticides are necessary

Date:03-13-2009

The Canadian Press article carried by the Sault Star on March 3 does not demonstrate the balance needed to allow the general public to be well informed about pesticide issues.

The story is very one sided and only gives the opinion of those who support the ban.

I note that there is a statement suggesting the ban did not go far enough and should have been expanded to cover products used by agriculture and forest sectors.

Pesticides and herbicides are necessary tools developed regulated and approved to assist in the ongoing battle with agricultural pests and weeds.

As a farmer and a member of the Canadian governments Pest Management Advisory Committee, I understand the rigorous risk assessment that is done before any new product is approved. The high standard of living we enjoy in Canada is, to a great part, a result of the increases in agricultural productivity that allows Canadians to pay less for their food than citizens in many other countries.

Agricultural productivity increases are partially related to our ability as farmers to use approved crop protection products.

Farmers and the crop protection industry have been working in partnership to ensure that products are only used when needed and even then new application procedures and technology is helping to reduce the volume of products used.

The last statement in the article speaks about studies linking the use of pesticides to cancer.

The Canadian Cancer Society held a conference last December to look at the possibility of a link between pesticide use and cancer. I listened as scientist after scientist presented study results that did not demonstrate a direct link. In fact, it was suggested that if the cost of fruits, vegetables and whole grains was to increase because off a ban on crop protection products, the change in diet could actually drive up cancer rates.

In my mind, the current ban is more about good politics than good science.

I would suggest that in the future, when dealing with complex issues, stick to the science, ensure that balance exists and resist getting caught up in popular rhetoric.