Pesticides and Risk Communication PPP-52 - Purdue Pesticide ...

The public draws from these sound bites and headlines in forming
opinions on the benefits and risks that pesticides pose. They are left to
judge which group of dueling experts is more credible and which has
the consumer’s best interest at heart. The critical role of the educator in
this plight is to help consumers cut through volumes of technical,
contradictory, and sometimes frightening information in concluding
where to place their confidence.
The issue of consumer (mis)understanding is major. Consumers are
asked to make increasingly difficult risk decisions for themselves and
their families, based on complex scientific and technical information.
This publication outlines the history of commercial pesticide development
and regulation and describes the educator’s role in helping the
consumer form an educated opinion.
The History of Public Debate on
Pesticides
The Early Years:
A Public Focused on Benefits
A review of the early years reminds us how productive the
debate has been and piques our concern for the issues we
face today. When commercial pesticides were
first used in agriculture in the 1930s and
1940s, the public in general welcomed and
applauded them. DDT, the first widely used
and recognized synthetic pesticide, was of
such obvious benefit that it spurred the
development of new pesticides for use in
the home, on the farm, and in the workplace.
The benefits of pesticides were easily
demonstrated and observed—and very convincing.
There prevailed a strong public conception that
technology could solve all problems.
Food. Pesticides reduce the negative impact of
pests on crop production and facilitate sustainable
yields on fewer acres of farmland. They protect our
crops, our stored grain, and our processed food;
6