Increased Use of Pesticides

Re “A Bumper Crop of Poisons,” editorial, Sept. 19: We were shocked to see The Times become a fear monger. The information put forward about an increase of pesticides in California farming was overwhelmingly disputed by University of California experts and farm officials. The document was never even peer reviewed. The increased pesticide numbers noted overlooked weather fluctuations, increases in acreage, use of less-toxic pesticides and pesticides used as pre-plant fumigants, which result in less pesticides used when the food items are being grown. Your editorial ignored another report released the same day by the Department of Pesticide Regulation, which showed that testing of produce in 1995 found that 98% had no detectable residues or residues within legal limits, and that these “results have been consistent for a decade.”

There is no doubt that the public has a growing phobia of pesticides. There is also no question that this is exacerbated by the media giving credence to non-peer-reviewed reports by organizations with a set political agenda.

If science and good sense prevailed, your editorial message would have been to increase fruit and vegetable consumption to protect against cancer.

DEBBIE CALVO, Exec. Dir.

Alliance for Food and Fiber

Los Angeles

Your editorial’s conclusion that organic is the best hope of breaking agriculture’s chemical dependency is on target. What you neglected to ask, however, is why Gov. Pete Wilson’s Department of Pesticide Regulation and the Department of Food and Agriculture are doing next to nothing to move California in this direction.

DPR seems to be happy to “regulate” a vast expansion of these poisons, but to have no intention of putting California on a safer and more sustainable path. State agencies put next to nothing into researching alternatives; most of what they support is classroom research, with virtually no money for on-the-farm implementation.

We need serious leadership for the state to stop this expanding use of poisons, with its threat to public health and related contamination of water, air, soil and wildlife.

DAVID CHATFIELD

Statewide Coordinator

Californians for Pesticide Reform

San Francisco