Pesticide Fast Facts

Fast Facts by Organic Valley:

1. More than one billion pounds of pesticides are used annually in the U.S.


2. Public health costs associated with pesticide-related acute poisonings and cancer alone, add up to an estimated $1.1 billion dollars per year.


3. About 70 percent of conventionally grown fresh fruits and vegetables contain pesticide residues.


4. 82 percent of U.S. households use pesticides, with an average of 3-4 different pesticide products used per home.


5. The majority of the U.S. population has detectable concentrations of multiple pesticide residues in their bodies.


6. Switching children to organic food dramatically reduces their pesticide exposure and risk.


7. Pesticides approved for organic farming are much less toxic compared to conventional pesticides.

To read more about the persistent problems of pesticides click over to Organic Valley's website and read:

Persistent, Poisonous, Problematic: Pesticides
by Melinda Hemmelgarn, M.S., R.D.