• Showroom7561@lemmy.ca
    ·
    1 year ago

    You know what I hate about this? In the past, you could very easily vote with your wallet by spending it on organic food, instead of this poison laden crap.

    But these days, food is so expensive that very few have that option, so we pay a premium to these companies who really don't give a damn about us, the planet, or biodiversity.

      • Showroom7561@lemmy.ca
        ·
        1 year ago

        Yes, if they are even used. Many organic farms don't use anything and/or use considerably less toxic versions to control pests.

        When i was able to afford organic produce on a regular basis , i was getting them from a place that sourced from local farms, and none used pesticides at the time. Sure, you find the occasional bug in your lettuce here and there, but nothing that a good wash couldn't fix. 😂

        • Dearche@lemmy.ca
          ·
          1 year ago

          Local farmers, sure. But from what I know, industrial farmers all use pesticides unless if it's grown indoors. And a lot of the organic pesticides are more dangerous than artificial ones. Especially since the farmers need to use more.

          • Showroom7561@lemmy.ca
            ·
            1 year ago

            I don't believe they are more dangerous, unless the research found otherwise in the last 10 years.

            But i cant speak to the industrial side of things, since i was buying local.

            • Dearche@lemmy.ca
              ·
              1 year ago

              I don't remember which one, but I have read about two different organic pesticides that were particularly dangerous. One had high mercury levels, and the other had something about it that made it illegal to use outright in the EU, but was legally used in the US.

              It's been a while since I heard about this sort of stuff, as organic was only starting to become mainstream when I had originally heard about them.

              • Showroom7561@lemmy.ca
                ·
                1 year ago

                Yes, I'm sure when the organic biz started to get mainstream attention, there were either some bad actors trying to make a quick buck, or simply not enough data into what was being used, so it wouldn't surprise me if that happened back then.

                But honestly, as long as there are billions to be made, someone will be trying to fly under the radar by using highly toxic stuff which may produce a higher yielding crop. This could be especially true when you have big corporations buying up smaller (and previously ethical ones) to become a monopoly in the space. God knows what deals they make behind closed doors.

              • Rodeo@lemmy.ca
                ·
                1 year ago

                It's been a while since I heard about this sort of stuff, as organic was only starting to become mainstream when I had originally heard about them.

                So like 30 years? Organic stuff was getting popular in the late eighties. Maybe it's time to brush up again lol

                • Dearche@lemmy.ca
                  ·
                  1 year ago

                  About ten I think. Organic was still pretty niche before then, and only really started to come to mainstream about then, not just foodies and environmentalists.

    • Greg@lemmy.ca
      ·
      1 year ago

      ...instead of this poison laden crap.

      The dose makes the poison. They're taking a science-based process to update the maximum residue limit.

      ...don’t give a damn about us, the planet, or biodiversity.

      Significantly more land would have to be allocated to agriculture to produce the same amount of food without pesticides. That's not good for the planet or biodiversity.

      • Cyborganism@lemmy.ca
        ·
        1 year ago

        Yeah but what if by increasing its usage, it means that you get more into the underground water supply and you end up with elevated concentration in drinking water because of this?

        • Greg@lemmy.ca
          ·
          1 year ago

          If it's dangerous then obviously stop doing it. But use science to test your hypothesis

          • Avid Amoeba@lemmy.ca
            ·
            edit-2
            1 year ago

            When Syngenta is involved, I'm extremely skeptical that the process is scientific or rather that the variables optimized for are people's or the environment's health. The dose isn't an on/off switch, it isn't boolean. Given Syngenta's track record, I'm guessing that they're optimizing for how much they can sell before the damage is apparent to most. I do believe they're scientifically establishing these amounts.