BACKGROUND: This paper discusses U.S. agricultural pesticide use trends from 1964 to 2010 based on estimates developed from USDA surveys, and the influence of economic factors, agricultural policy, and pesticide regulation on aggregate quantities and mix of pesticides used. RESULTS: Synthetic organic pesticide use grew dramatically from the 1960s to the early 1980s, as farmers treated more and more acreage. Use then stabilized, with herbicides applied to about 95% of corn, cotton, and soybean acres, annually. Subsequently, major factors affecting trends were: (1) changes in crop acreage and other economic factors, (2) use of new pesticides that reduced per-acre application rates and/or met more rigorous health and environmental standards, and (3) adoption of genetically engineered insect-resistant and herbicide-tolerant crops. CONCLUSION: The use of pesticides and other control practices responded to economic factors such as input and output markets and agricultural policies. Changing societal values toward pesticide risks and benefits profoundly affected pesticide policy, influencing the pesticides available for use, but only indirectly affecting aggregate quantities used. While the current pesticide regulatory process might have economic inefficiencies, it might be consistent with policy preferences held by much of the public-to reduce pesticide hazards rather than minimize regulatory costs. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
BACKGROUND: This paper discusses U.S. agricultural pesticide use trends from 1964 to 2010 based on estimates developed from USDA surveys, and the influence of economic factors, agricultural policy, and pesticide regulation on aggregate quantities and mix of pesticides used. RESULTS: Synthetic organic pesticide use grew dramatically from the 1960s to the early 1980s, as farmers treated more and more acreage. Use then stabilized, with herbicides applied to about 95% of corn, cotton, and soybean acres, annually. Subsequently, major factors affecting trends were: (1) changes in crop acreage and other economic factors, (2) use of new pesticides that reduced per-acre application rates and/or met more rigorous health and environmental standards, and (3) adoption of genetically engineered insect-resistant and herbicide-tolerant crops. CONCLUSION: The use of pesticides and other control practices responded to economic factors such as input and output markets and agricultural policies. Changing societal values toward pesticide risks and benefits profoundly affected pesticide policy, influencing the pesticides available for use, but only indirectly affecting aggregate quantities used. While the current pesticide regulatory process might have economic inefficiencies, it might be consistent with policy preferences held by much of the public-to reduce pesticide hazards rather than minimize regulatory costs. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Entities:
Keywords:
FIFRA; Food Quality Protection Act; pesticide regulation; pesticide use
Authors: Matthew Essandoh; Daniel Wolgemuth; Charles U Pittman; Dinesh Mohan; Todd Mlsna Journal: Environ Sci Pollut Res Int Date: 2016-12-12 Impact factor: 4.223
Authors: Anders S Huseth; Jessica D Petersen; Katja Poveda; Zsofia Szendrei; Brian A Nault; George G Kennedy; Russell L Groves Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-06-01 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Melissa A Furlong; Kimberly C Paul; Qi Yan; Yu-Hsuan Chuang; Myles G Cockburn; Jeff M Bronstein; Steve Horvath; Beate Ritz Journal: Int J Hyg Environ Health Date: 2020-07-14 Impact factor: 7.401
Authors: Ming Ye; Jeremy Beach; Jonathan W Martin; Ambikaipakan Senthilselvan Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2013-11-28 Impact factor: 3.390