What number of times is our food sprayed with chemicals? Of what type and how much?

Question

Hi!

How can i find out what are the regulations regarding the application of pesticides (including herbicides) and fertilizers in each crop?

I'm interested in the type, amount and number of times sprayed...

Any link to the FAO that deals with those subjects would really help a lot...

thanks!

Answer 1

You're not going to find such web sites (because there really are none).  I've lived in the middle of large agricultural area most of my life.  I'm a small farmer, on a permaculture farm.  

I'm in the very heart of potato country in Idaho right now.  70% of the potatoes consumed in the U.S. are grown right here in the county in live in.  

I grew up in Washington, and dated a guy who's Dad owned a major apple orchard (the guy I dated was going to inherit the orchard).  I've also lived near major wheat fields, corn fields, raspberry and other berry farms, cherry orchards, sugar beets,  peach orchards, alfalfa fields, mint fields, ect.  I've seen a LOT of different types of farming, and seen what is done.

Pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides (to name a few chemicals) are all oil based products.  Needless to say they have become quiet expensive.  Farmers try not to over-use, or needlessly use them, since it cuts deeply into any profit they might make.

Having said that however, it's really not regulated.  If the farmer wants to spray his field multiple times for insect control, he can....nobody to stop him.  

If he thinks he needs two applications of herbicides, instead of one, he can go ahead and do so....nobody to stop him.

Some things like apples orchards are sprayed a SHOCKING number of times.  I had no idea, before I dated that guy.

Before the bud even open, they spray for fungus, and insects.  After the blossoms are polinated by commercial bees (you know, the ones who are dying in droves) that are trucked in for a month or so, they spray AGAIN for insects (are you getting currious as to how many of the chemicals get concintrated in honey?).

Then when harvest is nearing, they spray a chemical to make all the apples rippen at the same time, and yet a different chemical, to make the apples stay on the tree.  Normally once an apple is ripe, the tree allows it to fall off.  Apple trees also normally rippen 5 apples one day, 50 the next, 20 the next,  but not all the fruit all at once.

Then after harvest is all over, the trees are sprayed with a chemical for their winter dormancy, but I cannot recall what that chemical is for.

Of course chemical fertilizers are also applied every once in a while to the base of the trees, not to mention the major use of weed killer under the trees, so that it does not become a forest of weeds and blackberries under the apple trees.

That boyfriend told me that the apple orchards are normally sprayed 8 different times during the year.  

Apples are then treated with even MORE chemicals after harvest, when they are put into cold storage!

The potatoes are sprayed as seed potatoes, even before they are put into the ground.  What they are treated with, depends on the problems the farmer is having in their area.  Black scale, hollow heart, nematodes, fungus, rot diseases, ect.

Some seed potatoes are treated with three different chemicals, before they even get planted.

Chemical fertilizers are applied.  Then they are sprayed once, but sometimes twice for insect control, and usually with an airplane (crop duster).

Potato fields are sprayed at least twice, sometimes three times for weed control.  The last application is to kill the potato vines themselves!  They spray the potato vines, and kill them with herbicides, then run a tractor dragging a big heavy roller over the vines after they have died.  This crushes all the vines.  That way the vines do not clogg the machines when they are harvesting.

Farmers use to wait for frost to kill the potato vines.  Now chemicals are used, and the potatoes are harvested earlier than they use to be.

I cannot think of a single crop that has fewer than three chemicals applied to it.  Some have many more.  If you are worried about the chemicals on your food (many are sprayed the day before harvest!) then buy at farmers markets, and learn to grow some of your own.

~Garnet

Homesteading/Farming over 20 years

Answer 2

All crops are different.   Bananas are the worst supposedly.   Don't touch the banana with your hands after pulling the peel back.   Cotton isn't considered a food product, so they can spray any type of chemicals on it they want.   The cotton seed oil has those chemicals in it, but its not regulated for some reason.