Pesticide Use and Climate Crisis Locked in 'Vicious Cycle' Backed by Polluting Industries

2023-02-19 03:10:23 By : Mr. Mr. Zhou

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A farmer spreads pesticides on a field in Centreville, Maryland on April 25, 2022. Industrial Gas Xe

Pesticide Use and Climate Crisis Locked in

While agrochemical corporations promote "flawed solutions," said one advocate, "we need deeper, transformative approaches to actually solve the root problems of our broken food system."

Even though synthetic pesticides—the majority of which are derived from fossil fuels—contribute significantly to planet-heating pollution and increase the vulnerability of food systems, industrial agriculture interests continue to recklessly portray further pesticide use as a sensible response to the climate emergency's worsening impacts.

That's according to a recent report published by the Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA), which details how agrochemical corporations exacerbate the climate crisis by refusing to admit that pesticides are part of the problem and instead promoting "false" solutions that enable them to keep peddling their highly profitable petroleum-based products.

The January report outlines how policymakers can help mitigate the climate crisis and build just and sustainable food systems by setting targets to drastically curb pesticide use, supporting agroecological farming practices, and protecting the rights of low-income individuals, disproportionately people of color, who are most harmed by pesticides, including farmworkers and residents of areas where the toxic substances are produced and applied.

"Governments are investing billions of dollars to address climate change, but these investments will fall woefully short unless they incorporate pesticide use reduction strategies and promotion of agroecological growing practices."

"Reductions in pesticide use and the adoption of agroecology would decrease greenhouse gas emissions, while also reducing acute poisonings, long-term diseases like cancer, and other health impacts that rural communities face from pesticide exposure," Nayamin Martinez, executive director of Central California Environmental Justice Network, said in a statement.

As the report explains: "Pesticides contribute to climate change throughout their lifecycle via manufacturing, packaging, transportation, application, and even through environmental degradation and disposal. Importantly, 99% of all synthetic chemicals—including pesticides—are derived from fossil fuels, and several oil and gas companies play major roles in developing pesticide ingredients."

Pesticides, the offspring of a World War II-era marriage of Big Ag and Big Oil, help drive global warming to a greater extent than many realize, as the authors document:

Despite mounting evidence that pesticides are helping to accelerate planetary heating, "climate change impacts are expected to lead to increases in pesticide use, creating a vicious cycle between chemical dependency and intensifying climate change," the report notes. "Research shows that declining efficacy of pesticides, coupled with increases in pest pressures associated with a changing climate, will likely increase synthetic pesticide use in conventional agriculture. An increase in pesticide use will lead to greater resistance to herbicides and insecticides in weeds and insect pests, while also harming public health and the environment."

That agricultural production is a substantial contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution is increasingly acknowledged, but the role played by pesticides is "infrequently addressed" and "many proposed solutions would not result in meaningful GHG emission reductions," says the report.

Co-author Asha Sharma, organizing co-director at PANNA, said that "our new report reveals how oil and gas companies and pesticide manufacturers have followed a similar playbook—strategically promoting flawed solutions to the climate crisis, like carbon capture and storage and new digital agriculture tools, which in reality offer minimal climate benefits."

"Corporations tout these novel technologies to protect their reputation, while they continue to profit from fossil fuels," said Sharma. "We need deeper, transformative approaches to actually solve the root problems of our broken food system."

The report makes the case for agroecology, which it defines as "a way of farming rooted in social justice that focuses on working with nature rather than against it."

Agroecology "relies on ecological principles for pest management, minimizing the use of synthetic pesticides, while prioritizing the decision-making power of farmers and agricultural workers," the report notes, adding that such an approach improves "the resilience of our agricultural systems to better withstand climate change impacts."

The report makes three key recommendations for policymakers:

"Transitioning our agricultural systems to those that uplift ecological and social justice principles will not only help mitigate climate change, but also reduce the negative health impacts of industrial agriculture," says the report. "While the work toward future policy and practice change continues, we can collectively support the advocacy work of impacted communities and organizations fighting for more equitable and sustainable food and farming systems right now."

Co-author Margaret Reeves, a senior scientist at PANNA, argued that "governments are investing billions of dollars to address climate change, but these investments will fall woefully short unless they incorporate pesticide use reduction strategies and promotion of agroecological growing practices."

Even though synthetic pesticides—the majority of which are derived from fossil fuels—contribute significantly to planet-heating pollution and increase the vulnerability of food systems, industrial agriculture interests continue to recklessly portray further pesticide use as a sensible response to the climate emergency's worsening impacts.

That's according to a recent report published by the Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA), which details how agrochemical corporations exacerbate the climate crisis by refusing to admit that pesticides are part of the problem and instead promoting "false" solutions that enable them to keep peddling their highly profitable petroleum-based products.

The January report outlines how policymakers can help mitigate the climate crisis and build just and sustainable food systems by setting targets to drastically curb pesticide use, supporting agroecological farming practices, and protecting the rights of low-income individuals, disproportionately people of color, who are most harmed by pesticides, including farmworkers and residents of areas where the toxic substances are produced and applied.

"Governments are investing billions of dollars to address climate change, but these investments will fall woefully short unless they incorporate pesticide use reduction strategies and promotion of agroecological growing practices."

"Reductions in pesticide use and the adoption of agroecology would decrease greenhouse gas emissions, while also reducing acute poisonings, long-term diseases like cancer, and other health impacts that rural communities face from pesticide exposure," Nayamin Martinez, executive director of Central California Environmental Justice Network, said in a statement.

As the report explains: "Pesticides contribute to climate change throughout their lifecycle via manufacturing, packaging, transportation, application, and even through environmental degradation and disposal. Importantly, 99% of all synthetic chemicals—including pesticides—are derived from fossil fuels, and several oil and gas companies play major roles in developing pesticide ingredients."

Pesticides, the offspring of a World War II-era marriage of Big Ag and Big Oil, help drive global warming to a greater extent than many realize, as the authors document:

Despite mounting evidence that pesticides are helping to accelerate planetary heating, "climate change impacts are expected to lead to increases in pesticide use, creating a vicious cycle between chemical dependency and intensifying climate change," the report notes. "Research shows that declining efficacy of pesticides, coupled with increases in pest pressures associated with a changing climate, will likely increase synthetic pesticide use in conventional agriculture. An increase in pesticide use will lead to greater resistance to herbicides and insecticides in weeds and insect pests, while also harming public health and the environment."

That agricultural production is a substantial contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution is increasingly acknowledged, but the role played by pesticides is "infrequently addressed" and "many proposed solutions would not result in meaningful GHG emission reductions," says the report.

Co-author Asha Sharma, organizing co-director at PANNA, said that "our new report reveals how oil and gas companies and pesticide manufacturers have followed a similar playbook—strategically promoting flawed solutions to the climate crisis, like carbon capture and storage and new digital agriculture tools, which in reality offer minimal climate benefits."

"Corporations tout these novel technologies to protect their reputation, while they continue to profit from fossil fuels," said Sharma. "We need deeper, transformative approaches to actually solve the root problems of our broken food system."

The report makes the case for agroecology, which it defines as "a way of farming rooted in social justice that focuses on working with nature rather than against it."

Agroecology "relies on ecological principles for pest management, minimizing the use of synthetic pesticides, while prioritizing the decision-making power of farmers and agricultural workers," the report notes, adding that such an approach improves "the resilience of our agricultural systems to better withstand climate change impacts."

The report makes three key recommendations for policymakers:

"Transitioning our agricultural systems to those that uplift ecological and social justice principles will not only help mitigate climate change, but also reduce the negative health impacts of industrial agriculture," says the report. "While the work toward future policy and practice change continues, we can collectively support the advocacy work of impacted communities and organizations fighting for more equitable and sustainable food and farming systems right now."

Co-author Margaret Reeves, a senior scientist at PANNA, argued that "governments are investing billions of dollars to address climate change, but these investments will fall woefully short unless they incorporate pesticide use reduction strategies and promotion of agroecological growing practices."

Even though synthetic pesticides—the majority of which are derived from fossil fuels—contribute significantly to planet-heating pollution and increase the vulnerability of food systems, industrial agriculture interests continue to recklessly portray further pesticide use as a sensible response to the climate emergency's worsening impacts.

That's according to a recent report published by the Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA), which details how agrochemical corporations exacerbate the climate crisis by refusing to admit that pesticides are part of the problem and instead promoting "false" solutions that enable them to keep peddling their highly profitable petroleum-based products.

The January report outlines how policymakers can help mitigate the climate crisis and build just and sustainable food systems by setting targets to drastically curb pesticide use, supporting agroecological farming practices, and protecting the rights of low-income individuals, disproportionately people of color, who are most harmed by pesticides, including farmworkers and residents of areas where the toxic substances are produced and applied.

"Governments are investing billions of dollars to address climate change, but these investments will fall woefully short unless they incorporate pesticide use reduction strategies and promotion of agroecological growing practices."

"Reductions in pesticide use and the adoption of agroecology would decrease greenhouse gas emissions, while also reducing acute poisonings, long-term diseases like cancer, and other health impacts that rural communities face from pesticide exposure," Nayamin Martinez, executive director of Central California Environmental Justice Network, said in a statement.

As the report explains: "Pesticides contribute to climate change throughout their lifecycle via manufacturing, packaging, transportation, application, and even through environmental degradation and disposal. Importantly, 99% of all synthetic chemicals—including pesticides—are derived from fossil fuels, and several oil and gas companies play major roles in developing pesticide ingredients."

Pesticides, the offspring of a World War II-era marriage of Big Ag and Big Oil, help drive global warming to a greater extent than many realize, as the authors document:

Despite mounting evidence that pesticides are helping to accelerate planetary heating, "climate change impacts are expected to lead to increases in pesticide use, creating a vicious cycle between chemical dependency and intensifying climate change," the report notes. "Research shows that declining efficacy of pesticides, coupled with increases in pest pressures associated with a changing climate, will likely increase synthetic pesticide use in conventional agriculture. An increase in pesticide use will lead to greater resistance to herbicides and insecticides in weeds and insect pests, while also harming public health and the environment."

That agricultural production is a substantial contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution is increasingly acknowledged, but the role played by pesticides is "infrequently addressed" and "many proposed solutions would not result in meaningful GHG emission reductions," says the report.

Co-author Asha Sharma, organizing co-director at PANNA, said that "our new report reveals how oil and gas companies and pesticide manufacturers have followed a similar playbook—strategically promoting flawed solutions to the climate crisis, like carbon capture and storage and new digital agriculture tools, which in reality offer minimal climate benefits."

"Corporations tout these novel technologies to protect their reputation, while they continue to profit from fossil fuels," said Sharma. "We need deeper, transformative approaches to actually solve the root problems of our broken food system."

The report makes the case for agroecology, which it defines as "a way of farming rooted in social justice that focuses on working with nature rather than against it."

Agroecology "relies on ecological principles for pest management, minimizing the use of synthetic pesticides, while prioritizing the decision-making power of farmers and agricultural workers," the report notes, adding that such an approach improves "the resilience of our agricultural systems to better withstand climate change impacts."

The report makes three key recommendations for policymakers:

"Transitioning our agricultural systems to those that uplift ecological and social justice principles will not only help mitigate climate change, but also reduce the negative health impacts of industrial agriculture," says the report. "While the work toward future policy and practice change continues, we can collectively support the advocacy work of impacted communities and organizations fighting for more equitable and sustainable food and farming systems right now."

Co-author Margaret Reeves, a senior scientist at PANNA, argued that "governments are investing billions of dollars to address climate change, but these investments will fall woefully short unless they incorporate pesticide use reduction strategies and promotion of agroecological growing practices."

Pesticide Use and Climate Crisis Locked in

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