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The use of pesticides on produce has been the subject of increasing consumer concern, and for good reason. The concern stems from the reliance of American farmers on heavy use of pesticides.

Added to this is the failure of the go­vernment to keep these pesticides out of our food supply, thus allowing fruits and vegetables, and other foods contaminated with potentially harmful pesticide resi­dues to make it all the way to our dinner plates.

With all of the confusion surround­ing the safety of consuming fruit and veg­etables, the simplest option, at first blush, would be to simply quit eating them. How­ever, since the well-established health benefits of the nutrient-rich fruits and veg­etables make them an essential part of our diet, it would be even more harmful to one's health to simply quit eating, or eat less of them. Nevertheless, due con­sideration must be given to the possible harmful effects of the pesticides associ­ated with fresh produce.

Consumer Understanding

So, what is a consumer to do? Many consumers usually make food choices in a haphazard fashion/randomly avoiding products or abandoning neighborhood su­permarkets in favor of organic food suppliers, without really knowing why. Con­sequently, the larger issue in such mat­ters is consumer understanding of what actually constitutes a threat to health.

While there is no question that heavy pesticide use is an important environmen­tal problem, stricter controls on pesticide use lie in the realm of governmental control. To most peoples' decision-making process, "It all boils down to an understanding of the difference between toxicity and hazard."¹

Toxicity is defined as the capability of a substance to harm living organisms. However in Its broadest sense, toxicity can apply to nearly everything a very high dose of vitamin ?‘ can be toxic and too much life-giving water can produce water intoxication. Similarly, a certain levd of a fungicide prevents a fungus from destroying a plant and, thus, is toxic to the

fungus. It is probably also toxic to humans at an extremely high level, but it is not toxic to humans at the level needed to control the fungus.      

Hazard is the ability of a chemical to produce injury under the conditions of its use. Using the previous example, a fungicide (the type of pesticide used to fight fungus), at the levels used, is hazardous to a fungus that is attacking a plant, but it is not hazardous to humans. At a much higher level, or, perhaps, in combination with some other chemical at high enough levels, it might present a hazard to hu­mans.

Living in a risk-ridden world, the con­sumer must weigh the potential risks and benefits of each choice. But all good de­cision-making starts with accurate infor­mation.

Pesticides Defined

 Pesticides are defined as "chemicals or mixtures of chemicals used for the prevention, elimination, or control of un­wanted insects, plants, and animals. Also included are plant growth regulators, defoliants [chemical spray or dust treat­ment of plants causing them to lose leaves prematurely], and desiccants [drying agent]."² The use of pesticides in agriculture helps to ensure abundant low-cost, readily available food year-round, thus benefiting both the consumer and the agricultural producer.

However, the use of pesticides also carries risks that primarily affect, in the short run, people exposed to large quan­tities of these substances ”farmers and agricultural workers and, in the long run, the wildlife and ecosystem. The greatest concern to the individual consumer ap­pears to be that, according to research, "prolonged exposure to pesticide residues may increase the risk of various cancers and neurological problems, such as Parkinson's disease, and impair the im­mune system."

The Viable Alternatives

Because of these concerns with pes­ticide use, "sustainable'' agriculture has become an increasingly popular alterna­tive to conventional agriculture. "While the goal of conventional agriculture is to maximize production, the goal of "sus­tainable" agriculture... is to ensure the long-term sustainability of production.

Sustainable agriculture emphasizes conservation of soil, water, energy, and biological resources; protection of wild­life and biological diversity; reduction of the use of synthetic chemicals (and ultimately fewer synthetic residues on food);    and better health of farmers and farm workers all while ensuring profits for farmers and rural communities.

The growing awareness of the detri­ments of pesticide overuse has opened the doors to several viable alternative sources of pesticide-containing produce for the conscientious consumer: low-pes­ticide produce, organically-grown produce, and home-grown produce.

IPM: Minimizing Risk

The growing trend among farmers is a pest-control method called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM "promotes minimized pesticide use, enhanced en­vironmental stewardship, and sustainable systems. This is achieved by protection of commodities with environmentally and economically sound practices and results in abundant and diverse supplies of food and fiber products."   Essentially, farm­ers save money by reducing their use of pesticides, consumers get food with fewer residues, and lower levels of pesticides enter the environment, thus reducing the damage to the ecosystem. According to 'Cornell's David Pimentel, "If pesticide use [in the United States] were reduced by one-half while using other methods to main­tain crop yields, the total price increase to consumers would be only 0.6 percent." That is a small price to pay for the pro­tection of the environment and human health.

Growing Your Own

The list of viable alternatives would be incomplete without the option of grow­ing your own fruits and vegetables. Hav­ing a garden lets you control exactly what goes on and into your food and is an ex­cellent alternative to store-bought pro­duce.

Practical Tips

nbsp;         Whenever possible, buy locally grown produce directly from farmers. It is almost always fresher than produce available in stores, and is picked closer to the peak of its ripeness.

          Buy certified organic produce if you can, it is grown without synthetic chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and doesn't contain post-harvest fungi­cides.

          When you can, buy domestically-grown produce, and produce that is in season. Out-of-season produce is likely to be imported, and may con­tain pesticides that are banned in the United States.

          When selecting fresh produce, don't shy away from less-than-perfect-looking fruits and vegetables. Per­fect-looking produce may be the re­sult of excessive pesticide use.

          Wash fruits and vegetables thorough­ly, and peel when appropriate. Wash­ing can remove some, though not all, of pesticide surface residues.

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