Jean-Marc Bonmatin and his collaborators from the Task Force on Systemic Pesticides published a substantial article on the impact of pesticides on health through food, and on alternative agronomic solutions, in the journal Environment International.
This article follows two other journal articles on alternatives to pesticides and recently published article 1, article 2. This new article resonates particularly with the questioning of the total ban on neonicotinoid insecticides in France.
Summary :
The article first examines the risks of pesticides associated with the consumption of fruits and vegetables. It then lists the effective agronomic alternatives by product, geography and chemical compound. Thus, in all countries, the use of pesticides contaminates up to 97% of food products and up to 42% of these products present a real risk to consumers. For example, multiple residues are present in 70-92% of stone fruits (USA and China) while 58% of American cauliflower is contaminated with neonicotinoid insecticides. Scientific alternatives and decision support frameworks can promote healthy eating. Increasingly, growers are reducing risk and potential harm by deliberately refraining from the use of pesticides. As such, opportunities abound to promote “win-win” diets that promote human health and preserve global biodiversity.