Viewpoint: ‘Celebrate pesticides!’ Why farmers should defend technology that produces our abundant food supply

Social media is really one of the best ways to reach people nowadays. As much as we might hate to admit it, celebrities and well-known online influencers really can have a huge impact on policy and perception surrounding our industry. Where is our voice as the farmer, and can we make a difference?

The answer can most certainly be YES!

But it’s up to us as an industry to strengthen these messages and connect with strong partners in urban areas outside of our industry to more effectively be heard. And one way I’ve found to do this is to not be afraid of the tough topics! This link is one example of this, which over time has reached nearly 14 million people on Facebook alone.

Follow the latest news and policy debates on sustainable agriculture, biomedicine, and other ‘disruptive’ innovations. Subscribe to our newsletter.

Let’s be transparent and celebrate advances; celebrate pesticides! Wait, that sounds totally weird right? But it’s true! Because it’s no different than spraying ourselves with chemicals like bug spray and sunblock, plants are just as living as we are and also need to be protected. We as living beings need medicine, food, nutrients … plants need that too! And pesticide application is overwhelmingly done responsibly and with greater and greater advances in biotechnology. It’s better living through chemistry — for ourselves and our crops. Explaining this in a way that the everyday consumer can understand is an important way to communicate ag science effectively.

Read the original post

{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }}
{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }}
{{ options.labels.newReviewButton }}
{{ userData.canReview.message }}

Related Articles

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Does glyphosate—the world's most heavily-used herbicide—pose serious harm to humans? Is it carcinogenic? Those issues are of both legal and ...

Most Popular

Screen Shot at AM
Facts & Fallacies Podcast: Right-wing politics bad for your health? Separating speculation from science
ChatGPT-Image-Jun-13-2026-11_51_39-AM
Viewpoint: COVID lab leak? Misguided backers of the lab leak theory refuse to give up
drug look like ozempic
Six key health insights from taking weight-loss drugs
ChatGPT Image Jun 3, 2026, 03_54_37 PM
Viewpoint: “Turn on, tune in, drop out”—Kennedy embraces the Timothy Leary psychedelic revolution
ChatGPT-Image-Jun-11-2026-01_15_03-PM
Selective Pressure, Selective Silence
Screenshot-2026-06-14-at-9.14.26-AM
‘Humanitarian catastrophe’: Trump’s USAID shutdown could help drive nearly 23 million deaths — including 5.4 million children — by 2030, Lancet study warns
ChatGPT-Image-Jun-14-2026-09_41_44-AM-2
Viewpoint—‘The gleeful efficiency of an arsonist’: Administration’s health and science research cuts are ‘sabotaging’ America’s future
ChatGPT Image Jun 3, 2026, 03_14_43 PM
Viewpoint: How Earthjustice became the poster child for the abuse of special interest activist funding
Screenshot-2026-06-14-at-9.53.54-AM
Is the World Cup a perfect storm for the spread of infectious diseases?
ChatGPT-Image-Mar-10-2026-01_39_01-PM
Viewpoint—“Miracle molecule” debunked: Why acemannan supplements don’t work
ChatGPT Image Jun 12, 2026, 02_32_14 PM
‘Have you asked your doctor?’: AMA launches campaign to counter health misinformation
Screenshot-2026-06-05-at-2.12.30-PM
Some plants can poison you. So how did humans figure out what is safe to eat?
glp menu logo outlined

Get news on human & agricultural genetics and biotechnology delivered to your inbox.