The ever-increasing human population prompted the emergence of scientific methods and techniques aimed at increasing agricultural productivity. Among these techniques is the use of pesticides to control weeds and ultimately boost farm yields. However, recent studies on effects of the pesticides due to increased overreliance on modern agricultural practices reveal their various negative and risky elements on the environment, people, and other agricultural-associated hazards that cannot be ignored. As such, it is clear that the dangers posed by pesticide use outweigh their usefulness in agriculture.
The general narrative on pesticide use in agriculture is the assertion that it saves labor and ensures higher crop yields. This could be factual but only in the short run: pesticides ensure crop productivity by killing weeds, and insects and controlling animal infestation (US Environment Protection Agency, 2017). However, with increased dependence and overutilization, pesticide use poses a great risk to agriculture use in the long run. According to Atwood et al. (2017), over 1.1 billion pounds of various types of pesticides are used for agricultural production in the US alone. This is an indication of high dependency whose effects are now apparent hence the need to look for alternative solutions before the situation becomes irreversible. Some of the effects include soil pollution, and reduced soil fertility due to the eradication of microorganisms; humans face the risk of induced immunotoxicity and other cancerous risks as a result of direct exposure. Furthermore, the overutilization of pesticides is the main cause of the emergence of super weeds that require toxic chemical formulas to effectively deal with them (Mitrani et al, 2018). These adversities show just how greater danger than the usefulness of pesticide use is in agriculture.
Although pesticides are beneficial in the short run, the resulting long-term effects on the environment and society, in general, are worrying. The escalated use of pesticides as an artificial method of weeds and pest control poses danger to the ecosystem, public health, and workers who directly apply or work in factories that produce them. Hence, the dangers posed by pesticide use outweigh their usefulness in agriculture.
References
Atwood, D. & Paisley-Jones, C. (2017). Pesticides Industry Sales and Usage: 2008-2012 Market Estimates. Environmental Protection Agency.
Mitrani, E., Perdum, E., Iordache, O. G., & Dumitrescu, I. (2018). Advantages and disadvantages of pesticide analysis methods used in agricultural samples. Scientific Papers-Series B-Horticulture, 62, 709-714.
US Environmental Protection Agency. (2017). Why we use pesticides?