The middle ground in the debate over pesticide use has become a no man’s land, says Mark Winston, a Canadian scientist who writes extensively about finding balance in environmental issues.
To get past unproductive polarized debate between chemical manufacturers and environmentalists, the pesticide industry needs to reach out with a meaningful olive branch, said Winston, an entomologist at British Columbia’s Simon Fraser University.
The industry should promote a 50 percent reduction in pesticide impact, Winston told the annual meeting of the Crop Protection Institute held here last week.
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The target could be reached by using fewer toxic pesticides and adopting new technologies and alternatives, he said.
“The future is going to lie in new technologies,” he said, adding the 50 percent target would be good for the industry’s business.
Winston is recognized as a leading expert on bees and pollination, and is a prolific commentator on science and environmental issues.
His 1997 book Nature Wars: People vs. Pests stakes out the middle ground on pesticide use.
Winston believes pesticides have benefits, but they also cause health and environmental problems when used excessively.
Consumer lust for bug- and blemish-free fruits and vegetables, perfect lawns and cockroach-free homes results in the overuse of chemicals, he said.
Society finds it hard to balance the benefits and risks of pesticides, he added. Supporters and detractors take positions that are too offensive and too defensive.
“We look at issues from the perspective of ritualistic bashing,” said Winston.
The industry needs to help educate people about the risks and benefits of pesticides, but the information can’t come from industry itself because it will be perceived as biased, he said.
Industry can fund independent research, said Winston, but it must be prepared to accept and act on the results, positive or negative.
Lorne Hepworth, president of the chemical manufacturers’ lobby group, said the pesticide industry is “on the same page” as Winston in trying to find middle ground about pesticides.
Hepworth said the industry is helping reduce the impact of pesticides with new types of chemicals and its support of integrated pest management strategies.
He is part of the federal government’s pest management advisory committee, a broad-based group that could fill the role Winston suggested.
The committee includes farmers, university researchers, consumers and environmental groups, but positions are entrenched, said Hepworth.
Winston said the committee lacks the political “oomph” required to find solutions.
“It’s not bold enough,” he said. “Government suffers from lack of courage on hot issues, and we need to get away from overly careful (approaches) …”
