Is pesticide-free agriculture possible?

Cédric CHOQUER

Common to all European countries, agriculture is largely the cause of water pollution due to the use of pesticides. Mainly herbicides, these products were supposed to help man in agriculture but nowadays in view of their huge negative impact, measures must be taken.

- 50% of vegetables and fruits consumed in France contain pesticide residues and 40% of fruit and vegetables sold in the European Union contain pesticide residues, of which 3% explode the Maximum Residue Limits (MRL).

- 1/3 of the French groundwater checked in 2004 showed significant traces of pesticides and the half watercourses was contaminated.

Should we be concerned about these results? Of course, because the toxicity of pesticides is no longer to be proven. Long-term exposure is catastrophic because it causes cancer, birth defects, sterility problems, neurological problems or weakening of the immune system. Water and food are contaminated by it, but we must be aware that pesticides are volatile, so the air is also polluted by its products.

Pesticide use is one of the main causes of water pollution. Spilled on the soil, pesticides will seep into and contaminate the groundwater that we use as drinking water. This will require more treatment on the water before it is consumed.

So, is pesticide-free agriculture possible? It is hard to say, but following the example of Sweden, we can draw inspiration from how they work to promote green agriculture. 80% of the products from agriculture in Sweden are produced locally, which will greatly reduce the intensive consumption that the food industry offers us. Sweden has placed a tax on chemical products to refer to national production towards eco-responsible production and, in addition, farms must use clean energy for farm equipment. The government also has a right of oversight over the application of its rules on its organic farms. These are just examples, but Sweden is positioning itself as the European world leader in agricultural transition.

We must be aware of the negative impact of pesticides and change our mentality and the way we produce. So that we can have an agriculture that respects the environment and our health.

If governments still don’t want to move towards healthy agriculture policies, I think we can guide agriculture by ourselves, through individual purchasing and consumption habits and have an impact on the industry.