Produce Growers & Pesticide Makers Deepen Their Bond
Ken Cook, Sara Sciammacco and Chris Campbell report for the Environmental Working Group,
In nearly two decades of research and advocacy on pesticides and human health, Environmental Working Group (EWG) has never before seen the produce industry take a high-profile role in debates over pesticide policy and safety, as it has this year. Invariably, it was the trade association for the pesticide industry that took the lead.
That group, which began life as The Agricultural Insecticide and Fungicide Association and evolved into the National Agricultural Chemicals Association, most recently rebranded itself “CropLife America” after it became evident that even the mention of “pesticides” or “agricultural chemicals” evoked a negative public response, Similarly, most agribusinesses have adopted the pesticide industry’s defensive code words, “crop protection chemicals” or “tools.”
In the past year, however, EWG observed a striking change: an unprecedented, highly public lobbying and PR campaign by fresh produce organizations aimed at downplaying consumer concerns about pesticides.
A recent editorial in The Packer, the trade publication of record for the industry, stated:
“The industry can’t win, but it should still fight. The worst response would be no response. The truth may be unpleasant, and counterintuitive, but eating fresh produce, with trace levels of pesticides, is indeed healthy. Consumers should fill half their plate with it. That message is worth spreading.”
It became even more obvious to us that the produce industry wants to keep information about the harmful effects of pesticides out of the hands of the public after we read U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesman Michael Jarvis’ response in the Chicago Tribune newspaper to the unusual delay of the release of this year’s pesticide data report.
USDA spokesman Michael T. Jarvis said the report was delayed by an unusually large number of official comments on the report from activists and the produce industry. “Some wanted it sooner and some later,” Jarvis said. “Some wanted more detail and some less detail, and so we put more time into how we presented it. We wanted it to be more understandable to the consumer.”
Who wants less detail? It’s certainly not the public. USDA didn’t say, but the answer is obvious.
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