Modern agricultural technologies, including genetic modifications, synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides to control crop killers are increasing productivity. As a result, humans can produce more food on less land.
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Because of recent scientific advances, pesticide toxicity has plunged by 98%, and growers can use less than ever before while getting the same results. The benefits of pesticides are miraculous: Without pesticides, up to 80% of many crops would be lost, and we would need much more land to grow enough food to feed the world’s 7.9 billion humans.
That means fewer places for people to live, and it means an increase in carbon emissions.
Agriculture already accounts for 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions. That number will increase dramatically if environmental activists are successful in vilifying pesticides.
Rather than promoting policies that seek to eliminate pesticides, which would devastate the environment and kill millions of people through famine and malnutrition, global leaders must embrace the development of safer, more efficient pesticides.
Scientists must be encouraged to continue creating new pesticides that allow farmers to produce more food from less land. The result will be less starvation, more healthy people, fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and more land in its natural, unfarmed state.
