Gardeners, farmers, and foresters need to return to tried-and-true pest control
methods such as crop rotation, companion planting, and biological controls. Inte-
grated Pest Management, which uses fewer toxic chemicals, and then only infre-
quently, is the pest control of the future. Ecological methods of pest control must
replace our overdependence on chemicals which now threatens us all. Numerous
studies show that IPM can save significant amounts of money for farmers while help-
ing them protect their health and the environment.
The most important and urgent step needed to reduce exposure is eliminating use
of those pesticides which endanger the health and well-being of farmworkers. Their
experiences reveal that even pesticide applications that follow the letter of the law can
result in exposure or illness. Phasing out the use of the most dangerous pesticides—
those that cause cancer or reproductive harm, or are extremely toxic to the nervous
system—would represent a tremendous step toward a more sustainable, healthier, and
more humane agricultural system.Notes- Remarks of Laura Caballero, Salinas, California, public meeting, July 1996.
- Caroline Cox, ‘‘Working with Poisons on the Farm,’’Journal of Pesticide Reform
14 (3) (Fall 1994): 2–5. - S. A. Briggs,Basic Guide to Pesticides: Their Characteristics and Hazards(Wash-
ington, D.C.: Rachel Carson Council, 1992).
4.Overview of America’s Farmworkers (Buda, TX: National Center for Farm-
worker Health, Inc., n.d.): 3. - R. Mines, S. M. Gabbard, and G. Stewart,A Profile of U.S. Farmworkers: Demo-
graphics, Household Composition, Income and Use of Services,based on data from the
National Agricultural Workers Survey (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Labor,
1997). - K. Mobed, E. B. Gold, and M. B. Schenker, ‘‘Occupational Health Problems
Among Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers,’’Western Journal of Medicine157 (1992):
367–373. - Phil Kellerman, Some Facts and Figures(Stephentown, NY: The Harvest of
Hope Foundation, October 20, 2003): 1. - Testimony of Arturo S. Rodriguez, President, United Farm Workers of America,
AFL-CIO, before the Subcommittee on Employment, Safety, and Training, Commit-
tee on Health Education, Labor, and Pensions, U.S. Senate, February 27, 2002. - General Accounting Office,Child Labor in Agriculture: Characteristics and Le-
gality of Work(Washington, D.C.: U.S. General Accounting Office, 1998): 20. - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,Basic Principles of the Worker Protection
Standard(July 6, 1999). - W. S. Pease, R. S. Morello-Frosch, D. S. Albright, A. D. Keyle, and J. C. Rob-
inson,Preventing Pesticide-Related Illness in California Agriculture: Strategies and Prior-
ities(Berkeley, CA: California Policy Seminar, 1993).
60 | Pesticides