Cosmetic pesticide use: quantifying use and its policy implications in California, USA

Abstract

Pesticide use is increasingly under scrutiny for its environmental and human health impacts. While government leaders promote sustainable pest management, including reductions in pesticide usage, growers face pressure to produce agricultural commodities at high cosmetic standards, which often requires the use of pesticides. California (United States) has a productive agricultural industry, many sustainability initiatives and a government that actively regulates pesticide use. We identified two cases where it was possible to quantify cosmetic pesticide use in California: stink bug control in processing tomato and red colour and large size in table grape. Between 2009 and 2019, 1.47% and 7.7% of total hectares treated with pesticides were treated with the subset of cosmetic pesticides examined in this study in processing tomato, and table and raisin grape, respectively. Individual hectares can be treated with multiple pesticides that each adds to the total hectares. We identified unique hectares treated with cosmetic pesticides: 8.14% and 57.1% of harvested hectares received at least one application of a cosmetic pesticide in processing tomato, and table and raisin grape, respectively. The current food system that supports high cosmetic standards, and thus demands pesticide usage, can inhibit the adoption of and transition to sustainable agricultural systems.

Keywords

• agricultural pesticides
• policy
• california
• government
• sustainable pest management