Viewpoint: Manufacturing misinformation — How the Environmental Working Group spreads false facts about pesticide dangers

Growers in Ventura County apply a philosophy called Integrated Pest Management. Safety equipment and safe spraying is a major consideration. Credit: Shutterstock
Growers in Ventura County apply a philosophy called Integrated Pest Management. Safety equipment and safe spraying is a major consideration. Credit: Shutterstock

Ventura County farmers farm food, the Environmental Working Group farms clicks.

Unfortunately, the Ventura County Star has elevated misinformation about the important role of pesticide regulation in Ventura County and the extraordinary efforts undertaken by the County Ag Commissioner, farmers, and farmworkers to keep our community safe.

Mis- and disinformation are distorting science and public policy. Subscribe to our Daily and Weekly Digests for incisive coverage of ‘disruptive’ innovations in AI, agricultural biotechnology, food, chemicals, nuclear energy, vaccines, and other disruptive innovations.

As The Star’s Feb. 6 article noted, “Ventura County growers applied more than 32 million pounds of pesticides to fields over six years” yet it failed to note that most of the mass applied is non-toxic.

The cited applications include horticultural oils, minerals, and organic pesticides which make up the bulk of the mass and are considered non-toxic to humans. No wonder EWG had to span six years of data to inflate rates for clicks.

This is an excerpt. Read the original post here.

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