Pesticide use – a prime example of unsustainability

Pesticides are designed to kill what we humans see as pests (weeds, insects and fungi).  The problem is that anything designed to kill one thing doesn’t necessarily leave everything else alone. One of the big risks with pesticides is the hormonal impact on humans and other organisms in the food chain.

Another problem is that we humans fail to see how we are interdependent on, for example insects. Bees are the most glaring example because if they are wiped out (check out the colony collapse disorder post) then about a third of all pollination ends, and in turn there goes a huge block of food for us humans – shoot ourselves in the foot scenario.

One of the main reasons for pesticide use is monoculture farming – the growing of one crop only. The lack of diversity in a field or region makes it attractive to certain organisms and hence affects yield.  The so-called pests develop resistance over time and the ammount of spraying required can increase accordingly. A vicious circle.