Majority of California’s Pesticide Use Approved for Organic

According to an article from the Genetic Literacy Project, more than half of the active ingredients used by California farmers are approved for organic use.

The article looked at the state’s 2013 pesticide use and compares synthetic pesticides with natural ones like sulfur and petroleum distillates. “The organic-approved and synthetic pesticides used in California today have a similar distribution of relative toxicity, mostly at the low toxicity end of the spectrum,” the article says. “The categories that have organic-approved active ingredients are indicated with the USDA logo and together these comprise 55 percent of the total pounds applied. These materials are extensively used by both organic and non-organic growers.”

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Read the full Genetic Literacy Project article.

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