Optimising Pesticide Use
Preface
Pest control and thus a reliance on pesticides, has been around for a long time.
Records show that the Ancient Egyptians used alkaloid containing hemlock and
aconite and Homer describes how Odysseus "fumigated the hall, house and court
with sulphur to control pests". The amount of effort man has put into pest control
is often inversely proportional to the food supply. In times of famine, we are
less keen on sharing the food supply with other species - pests - or tolerant of
spoilage to our food from pest activity. Conversely, in times of plenty, as is
currently the case in the developed world, people have the option of seeking
food grown without chemical pest control and balancing the possible risks from
chemical residues with the perceived benefits, quality and abundance of untreated
foods. This is not a global option.
World Wars I and II served as a watershed for the modern chemical industry. ... read full excerpt from Optimising Pesticide Use ebook
