Herbicides & Pesticides: How Even “Healthy” Foods Can Kill

Herbicides and pesticides are, by design, poisons, used by farmers as a method of ensuring crop yield is at its highest. However, they often harm more than pests, and can expose consumers and entire local communities to toxic, harmful chemicals in many different ways.

These chemicals can be ingested through contaminated food (i.e. the crops themselves), contaminated water, and inhaled. Long-term exposure to these chemicals has been linked to an increased risk of cancers, neurological disorders, and developmental issues.

Pesticides, in particular, can disrupt the endocrine system of people, leading to a host of health problems, including reproductive issues and developmental disorders. This can inhibit the production of many hormones, having negative impacts on sexual development.

As well as for consumers, herbicides and pesticides also have an impact on farmers and farmworkers, who are often exposed to these chemicals on a regular basis. This can lead to chronic health issues, such as respiratory problems and skin irritations.

Additionally, these chemicals can get into the water supply, harming aquatic life and potentially contaminating the drinking water of nearby communities, subsequently harming human and animal life that relies on local water sources.

As well as the direct health consequences, many of these chemicals also have harmful effects on the environment, including damage to ecosystems and the extinction of beneficial insects and animals. This can have disastrous knock-on effects like those mentioned above.

Some research suggests that the overuse of herbicides and pesticides can also lead to the development of "superweeds" and "superbugs" that are resistant to the chemicals, making them less effective over time.

The use of organic farming methods, which rely on natural pest control methods and crop rotation, can reduce the need for these chemicals and have a more positive impact on health and the environment as it removes the act of poisoning the soil and local water sources.

Consumers can make a difference to how accepted these practices are by choosing to buy organic produce, supporting farmers who use sustainable methods, and advocating for stricter regulations on the use of herbicides and pesticides. This all starts with buying local!

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