Sustainable Agriculture and Food: Four volume set (Earthscan Reference Collections)

External Costs of Agricultural Production in the United States 59

a human health concern. It can be converted to nitrite in the gastrointestinal tract
and may prevent the proper transport of oxygen in the bloodstream, causing meth-
emoglobinaemia, or ‘blue-baby syndrome’ in infants (USDA, 2000d).

Table 3.2 Associated costs – agency budgets (millions $)a

Damage categories Costs C/Lb

1 Damage to water resources

1d USEPA FY2003 budget requests for Nonpoint Source

Programme and state grants (USEPA, 1997b, 2001a,

2002d)

153.2 C&L

4 Damage to wildlife and ecosystem biodiversity

4f USEPA FY2003 budget for Reduce Public and

Ecosystem Risk from Pesticides goal (USEPA, 2002d)

21.9 C

4g USDA FY2003 budget for Natural Resources

Conservation Service (USDA, 2002b)

1260.0 C&L

4h USDA FY2003 budget for Farm Service Agency

Conservation Programmes (USDA, 2002b)

1968.0 C&L

Category 4 Subtotal 3249.9

5 Damage to human health – pathogens

5c USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service FY2003

budget (USDA, 2002b)

27.2 L

5d FDA Food Safety Initiative FY2002 estimated budget

(FDA, 2002)

8.4 L

5e USDA ARS FY1999 budget for food safety, pathogen

preharvest research (USDA, 2002a)

21.2 C&L

5f USDA APHIS FY2003 budget for Plant & Animal Health

Monitoring (USDA, 2002b)

143.0 C&L

5g USDA AMS FY2003 budget for Microbiological Data

Programme (USDA, 2002b)

1.5 C

Category 5 Subtotal 201.3

6 Damage to human health – pesticides

6b EPA Safe Food Programme FY2003 budget request

(USEPA, 2002a, 2002d)

86.7 C

6c USEPA FY2003 budget for Reduce Public and

Ecosystem Risk from Pesticides goal (USEPA, 2002d)

27.7 C

6d USDA AMS FY2003 budget for Pesticide Data

Programme (USDA, 2002b)

15.0 C

Category 6 Subtotal 129.4

TOTAL: 3733.8

(£2139.5 million)

a Contact authors for calculation information on programme costs.
b C/L, refers to production type that is main cause of impact: crop, livestock or both.