Pesticide Use: Do The Ends Justify The Means?
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
A Risk-Benefit Analysis of Pesticide Use: Do the Ends Justify the Means?
Humberto Bringas
Envr 600: Environmental Health
Dr. Courtney Woods
23 February 2014
The use of pesticides in agriculture has long been a highly controversial issue with numerous economic, social, and environmental costs and benefits. While an abundance of both costs and benefits do indeed exist, this paper will conduct a risk-benefit analysis to demonstrate that the risks associated with pesticide use actually outweigh the benefits – meaning, the ends do not, in fact, justify the means. Prior to identifying the benefits and risks associated with pesticide use, we must first describe the effects of pesticides. A 2007 study on the benefits of pesticides to mankind and the environment by researchers Jerry Cooper and Hans Dobson stated that the three main effects of pesticides are:
1. to control agricultural pests, such as diseases …show more content…
This increase in a farm’s profitability can actually operate at community, national or even global scales. For example, according to Cooper and Dobson, an increase in farm revenues results in wealthier farmers with more disposable income to stimulate the local economy (Cooper and Dobson 5). In addition, it is most likely assumed that we are referring to farmers in the United States when discussing these examples. However, let’s assess how an improvement in crop/livestock yield would affect a farmer in a developing country that exports crops to the United States. An improvement in crop/livestock yields would effectively allow this farmer to export a greater amount of high quality produce. In turn, an increase in exports of high quality produce would lead to an increase in influx of much needed foreign exchange (Cooper and Dobson
A Risk-Benefit Analysis of Pesticide Use: Do the Ends Justify the Means?
Humberto Bringas
Envr 600: Environmental Health
Dr. Courtney Woods
23 February 2014
The use of pesticides in agriculture has long been a highly controversial issue with numerous economic, social, and environmental costs and benefits. While an abundance of both costs and benefits do indeed exist, this paper will conduct a risk-benefit analysis to demonstrate that the risks associated with pesticide use actually outweigh the benefits – meaning, the ends do not, in fact, justify the means. Prior to identifying the benefits and risks associated with pesticide use, we must first describe the effects of pesticides. A 2007 study on the benefits of pesticides to mankind and the environment by researchers Jerry Cooper and Hans Dobson stated that the three main effects of pesticides are:
1. to control agricultural pests, such as diseases …show more content…
This increase in a farm’s profitability can actually operate at community, national or even global scales. For example, according to Cooper and Dobson, an increase in farm revenues results in wealthier farmers with more disposable income to stimulate the local economy (Cooper and Dobson 5). In addition, it is most likely assumed that we are referring to farmers in the United States when discussing these examples. However, let’s assess how an improvement in crop/livestock yield would affect a farmer in a developing country that exports crops to the United States. An improvement in crop/livestock yields would effectively allow this farmer to export a greater amount of high quality produce. In turn, an increase in exports of high quality produce would lead to an increase in influx of much needed foreign exchange (Cooper and Dobson