Pesticide Companies Prepare
New Disinformation Campaign

ERYN GABLE / Greenwire 11apr02

At a Washington-area conference on the benefits of biotechnology and pesticides, McGovern said the Green Revolution had saved 12 million acres from becoming farmland, preserving nature and biodiversity. "Modern, high-yield farming has been a significant environmental and humanitarian success," said McGovern, who serves as the United Nations' global ambassador on hunger and has signed the declaration.

Pesticide makers indicated at the conference that they are gearing up for a big push on the public relations and regulatory fronts. DuPont Crop Protection's Jim Borel said the industry must start an aggressive campaign touting the benefits of pesticides.

"We need to change our industry culture if we're going to continue to operate in the United States," he said. The companies hope to combat the claims of environmentalists and the Environmental Protection Agency's increased regulation of pesticides by focusing on the products' ability to improve the environment through increased food production and eradication of disease-carrying pests, representatives said. In doing so, the companies will redirect their attention away from promoting the products' safety and testing.

CropLife America President Jay Vroom said one area for improvement would be better scientific knowledge of pesticides' benefits. Internal surveys of pesticide companies show that one-fifth of their employees do not know what to say when people challenge them about pesticide use, but three-quarters of them would like to speak up, he said.