Are agrochemicals like pesticides and fertilisers always bad? If they are, why are they still so widely used in the global food system? Well, it’s complicated.

 

Welcome to Arrest the Pest! A blog dedicated to the discussion and dissection of all things related to agrochemical use during food production. Specifically, it will look at the effects of agrochemical pollution, the efforts taken to minimize these effects, as well as major news in the agrochemical world.

 

If you’re thinking, “Oh great, another blog to persuade me to go organic and boycott food grown using pesticides,” fret not because that is not the goal of this blog. As much as it is about the environmental and social problems associated with agrochemicals, this blog aims to provide nuanced arguments about their necessity in the global supply chain.

 

Why should you care? There are many reasons, but I’ll provide two.

 

First, it’s all about food security. With climate change bringing new challenges to food production, it will be increasingly difficult to sustain a steady food supply to feed the world. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates how disruptions to the food supply chain can lead to food insecurity for billions of people (2.37 billion in 2020 to be exact, according to the World Bank). Therefore, agrochemicals can and should be a part of the solution to cope with the effects of climate change while ensuring food security.

 

Second, the environment and public health. Environmental pollution due to agrochemical use is a major problem that can affect human health. Food producers on the ground are especially vulnerable due to their frequent exposure to these chemicals. This may not be apparent to affluent consumers who are nowhere near food production systems. Therefore, it is important to communicate these issues.

 

If agrochemicals were to be a part of the food production toolkit, they should be used responsibly and sustainably without compromising environmental and human health. In the upcoming weeks, let’s explore the effects of not using agrochemicals responsibly and discuss the lessons we can learn to improve the food system.

 

References

World Bank. (2021, December 13). Food Security and COVID-19. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/brief/food-security-and-covid-19