Blueberry lovers are up in arms, but why does pesticide residue really matter, anyway? While chemical pesticides effectively protect crops from pests, weeds, and mold (we would have far fewer produce options, and they would be far more expensive, without pesticides), they do have their downsides. The use of chemical pesticides on farms can harm surrounding biodiversity1, pollute nearby waterways2, and harm soil strength and microbial diversity3. The consistent use of some pesticides can also threaten farmworker health4.
From a shopper’s perspective, eating a nutritious diet that’s low in pesticide residues has been associated with some tasty health outcomes. In newly published research5 that monitored the health of more than 150,000 people for over 20 years, those who ate a diet rich in low-pesticide fruits and vegetables had a 36% lower mortality risk than those who ate hardly any fruit or veg—while eating a diet rich in higher pesticide produce did not seem to have any impact on mortality.
If you’re looking to support the movement toward alternative methods of crop protection, here are a few ways to forgo pesticides, while still getting your fruit and veggie fix, in the year ahead:
