Pesticides: Feeding the World Essay -- Farming Food Science Papers

Pesticides Feeding the WorldEvery day, new worries arise concerning over-population and the future of earth. People are afraid of starvation and endemic diseases. The problem with gratuity food production is not of land shortage, but of yields too low to feed a doubled world population. Plant geneticists are creating hybrid plants that beat higher yields and more resistance to unwanted and harmful organisms. Even with the new plants, pesticides must be applied to reap the hybrids full potential. What follows is some common misconceptions close pesticides and their use. Humans ingest about 10,000 times more naturally occurring pesticides than they do man-made ones. In fact, the risk you expose yourself to by drinking a day-by-day glass of apple juice from fruit treated with the pesticide Alar is 58 times less than the hazard of consuming natural carcinogens in one mushroom. Pesticide residues bear on only on the surface of produce. They are not absorbed by fruits or vegetables. Rinsing with clear running water will remove most of any trace residues. Organic food growers often use pesticides derived from natural sources to protect their arranges. Many man-made pesticides are less toxic than naturally-occurring ones. Without the availability of crop protection products, it is estimated that current world fruit and vegetable production would decline by as much as 40% and fruit and vegetable prices would attach by up to 70% ( ferment Protection Institute, 1997). Even with todays technology, food production would be considerably lower and the number of individuals suffering from malnutrition would be dramatically change magnitude if pesticides were not used. Changes in Farming Farming has changed and advanced incredibly in the last tw... ...Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. (1997). The Pros and Cons of Pesticides Online. Available http//www.ns.ec.gc.ca/epb/factsheets/pesticides/pro_con.html 1997, September 28. Avery, Dennis T. (1995, June). How Pesticides H elp Prevent Cancer. Consumers Research Magazine, pp. 11-12. Byrd, John D. Jr., Ph.D., David R. Shaw, Eric P. Webster (1997). PesticidesBenefits and Risks Online. http//www.ces.msstate.edu/pubs/pub1962.htm 1997, October 7. Crop Protection Institute. (1997). Facts & History of Pesticides Online. http//www.cropro.org/history.html 9/16/97. Hastings, John. (1993, September). Do Pesticides on Fruits and Vegetables Threaten Children?. Health, p. 12. Riviere, Jim E. (1994, August 8). Stop Worrying and Eat Your Salad. Newsweek, p. 8. Spencer, Leslie. (1993, October 25). Ban All Plants-They Pollute. Forbes, pp. 104-108.