A History of Pesticide Regulation in the USA

The rapid post-WWII population boom and the Green Revolution placed enormous pressure on farmers to meet growing agricultural demands. As a result, food producers resorted to using large quantities of pesticides and chemicals in order to increase their yields and productivity by controlling weeds, insects, and pests, causing roughly 33% of agricultural production to be dependent on the use of pesticides. However, these chemical additives were eventually discovered to be carcinogenic and have detrimental side effects, including reproductive harm. Through a series of studies and books, the negative effects of pesticides were revealed to the public, sparking a wave of anti-pesticide protests and movements. As a result, there was a significant push to regulate or, altogether, eliminate pesticide use in consumer goods. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was formed and began to introduce new regulations and bans on the application of pesticides. In the years following, multiple new policies were implemented including the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA) that enhanced the preexisting pesticide regulations. There have been many long-term effects of the wave of pesticide regulation that started in the mid-1900s, including changes in agricultural practices. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has become a more standardized practice in the farming world, which involves using clean farming practices such as selecting the right plants for the right locations, choosing healthy plants, keeping tools and areas clean, rotating crops, and managing weeds. The debates over the balance of the costs and benefits in terms of pesticides continue to be highly relevant today in the 21st century in areas such as climate change, carbon emissions, and fossil fuel generation. In all of these polemics, there is a continued exploration as to the appropriate role of government and politics, the balance between economic considerations and health protection, and the search for a new framework for regulation.