Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/76198
Whom can you trust? ence of pesticide residues on conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. "Even more disconcertingly," they reported, "govern- T ment scientists also tested three popular types of baby food and found pears and green bean samples contaminated with fungicides and bug killers." The Alliance for Food and Farming countered with a list of 12 reasons consumers should not use the Dirty Dozen list, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that the data proved that pesticides are not a safety issue. Overall, only 0.25 percent of the 12,845 food samples tested had residues higher than tolerance levels, and no baby food samples had tolerances above the legal limits. So, who should a person believe? Pesticide policy expert Dr. Charles Benbrook, now a professor at Washington State University, said the danger of presenting the public with conflicting information is that it erodes people's trust and confidence in the institu- tions that serve agriculture. He is working on a detailed analysis of the EPA pesticide residue data that he hopes will help people from all sides of the issue realize that growers have made great progress in reducing pesticide risk. he Environmental Working Group recently issued its Dirty Dozen produce list, pointing out that govern- ment pesticide tests showed the widespread pres- Consumers are becoming fed up with dysfunction, a pesticide policy expert says. In the 1980s, Benbrook worked as executive director of a congressional subcommittee with jurisdiction over pes- ticide regulation, research, trade, and foreign agricultural issues. He's also served as executive director of the National Academy of Science's Board on Agriculture. Benbrook is dismayed that university scientists have been losing their independent voice in public debates in recent years. When he worked with Congress 30 years ago and his committee held a hearing, he would work with staff from both parties and agree on experts who would testify, some of whom would come from professional organizations, commodity groups, or universities. Objective analysis "We really got objective analysis from the university people without them trying to make the case for one side of the issue or the other," he said. "That was the makings of a good congressional hearing—having a balanced and objective set of witnesses lay out the prob- lem to help the members understand what the choices are, what the problems are, and how we could do a better job with something that's currently causing a problem or threatens to cause much greater problems in the future. "Throughout the 1980s, sound ideas and the best analysis really won the day," he said. "Science and facts and analysis really played a vital and respected role. "What's happened today is the independent voices of university experts are lost in the conflicting assertions from special-interest groups. In addition, the private sec- tor has gained so much influence and control over the sci- entific community and the ways scientists communicate with policy makers that the trustworthy, independent voice of experts without an axe to grind has, for the most part, been drowned out in the policy process. "Congress now hears so many conflicting things from 'experts' that they have become convinced that there really is no consensus in the scientific community." —G. Warner Charles Benbrook Bags & Buckets Cherry Bucket 89000 / 89200 Harvest Equipment Picking Bucket 7P104 / 7P105 5250 Amigo Citrus Bag 73500 FC-100 Cordura Bag 73187 / 73393 Padded Bag 73250 Available (some restrictions apply) Delivery We MANUFACTURE metal stakes, posts, crossarms & braces Your Source for All Vineyard & Orchard Trellising Products Anchors Crossarms ! Manufactured by Superior Fruit Equipment Also available in cotton Email sales@sfequip.com Web www.wellsandwade.com For the dealer nearest you, call us at (509) 662-6065. Wells & Wade Harvest Equipment "When You Want The Best For Your Fruit" 22 AUGUST 2012 GOOD FRUIT GROWER 509.781.0898 LOCAL www.goodfruit.com