DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) was developed as the first of the modern synthetic insecticides in the 1940s. After 30 years of cancer, death and illness, it was established that it was “harmful to wildlife”, “probably carcinogenic and tetragenic”, “persisted in the environment” and it was banned in many countries.
The main advertising surrounding the product chanted the phrase “DDT is good for Me-e-e!” It made bigger, worm-free apples – so it must be good, right?
DDT is gone (for the most part – there are exemptions for its use against malaria), but modern farming still poses the same risks. We are sold lies that the chemicals used in conventional farming are safe, while studies are showing otherwise.
You may have noticed the recent uproar about reduced Glyphosate availability. Glyphosate, a chemical shown in numerous studies to be tetragenic, carcinogenic, damaging to wildlife, damaging to our environment… A toxic chemical whose manufacturers have had numerous class actions taken out and won due to the harm it has caused… And here we are complaining that it is in short supply!
This is the state of our regulators and agriculture industry. How many other farming chemicals are in the flux that DDT once was, where there are a few studies here and there, but we are still sold the lie that they are perfectly safe for agricultural use? I’ll give you a hint… at present over 300 of our agricultural chemicals have known effects (a fair few are unstudied / inconclusive at present).
Luckily, there is a choice. Choosing organic means saying NO to these chemicals. It means saying NO to harming the environment, your community and your body.
Protect our environment, farmers, their families, and yourselves by choosing organic and saying no to the DDTs of today. Because by the time they are finally banned, it’s often too late.
