Lately, some correspondents wrote about the use of glyphosate pesticide. Unfortunately, people who are unqualified and not trained in pesticide use tend to absorb whatever alarmist literature is written and repeat it verbatim without verifying as to the pro and cons of pesticide use.

Not using pesticides is like not using electricity because we fear electrocution.

Glyphosate is a herbicide and, therefore, it is used to kill weed plants. No grower would ever think to use it on crops. It would kill them. Therefore, there is no cause for alarm that it may end up on our table.

The only instance it is applied on crops is when these crops are genetically modified to be resistant to the ill-effects of this pesticide. In Malta, the cultivation of genetically-modified crops is prohibited, so there is no need for concern, at least for the local produce.

The concern raised abroad was not on the active ingredient itself but on the type of adjuvant added to enhance its mode of action. Traces of the pesticide found in the US were well below the acceptable daily dose.

In Malta, there should be more concern about the nitrate and lead contents in the food than that of pesticides. I would be more concerned about residues of insecticides for their toxicity is greater than most other plant protection products.

Modern pesticides are very biodegradable and persistent pesticides such as DDT, Aldrin and other organochlorines have long been banned locally as well as in the EU.

The use of pesticides over the last century has increased food production exponentially and were it not for their use there would be more famine worldwide. Food production will soon have to cater for over nine billion people in the world and, while the population keeps increasing, the area under cultivation keeps decreasing.

It is not the good use of plant protection products that is of concern but their abuse. These pesticides must be used according to their respective labels. The dosage must be correct and the safety interval between their application and harvesting must be respected. On the other hand, the authorities ought to regularly monitor the various crops for any residues beyond the maximum residue limits for each particular crop.

Photo: Reuters/Abed Omar Qusini

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