Crop Protectants Under Fire

Growers need tools to help them combat insects, weeds, and disease, and those tools usually come in the form of insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Not everyone, however, knows the value of these products or that growers take every precaution to make sure they are used properly. Recently, requests were made to revoke tolerances for residues of endosulfan, and in Europe, a range of chemicals are coming under fire.

On top of that, in late September, a California jury awarded $1 million to an organic farm in Santa Cruz, whose edible herbs were contaminated by organophosphate (OP) crop protectants that the grower contended were sprayed on nearby farmlands. The award raises questions for the future use of OPs — or even crop protectants in general.

For the full story on the California case, be sure to check out the November issue of AVG.