Going Beyond the Ag Chemical Headlines

Consumer misconceptions about ag chemical use are usually based on a grain of truth.

Headlines about agriculture chemical use aren’t always the most kind to the industry. And while these headlines may be flashy and attention grabbing, they’re usually overblown with consumers not being given the full truth.

“It can be a hard pill to swallow when you read some of these. They are often rooted in a kernel of truth that is then taken way out of context. And that’s what’s really frustrating,” Ian Affleck, vice-president of plant biotechnology at CropLife Canada, says on the Dec. 14 episode of Seed Speaks.

Affleck says he has found these stories will use data from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), the Canadian government department in charge of food safety, and will spin it to fit the story they’re trying to tell. He adds the CFIA has pesticide allowance levels that are set at 100 to 1,000 times below the level that could cause harm to humans.

“We’ll often see headlines about pesticides residues being found on food. Understandably, that can sound alarming to consumers. But what’s left out is the context about how most foods have no detectable residues and those that do are at levels far below those that would pose a risk to our health and safety. Context matters,” he adds.