Pesticides
Without the use of pesticides, world-wide fruit and vegetable production would fall by up to forty percent, so it is no surprise that these products feature so prominently in the grower’s and gardener’s arsenal.
The term ‘pesticide’ refers simply to any substance used to control something which has been designated a ‘pest’, covering a diverse and large number of organisms. As a result, there are many different types of pesticide, ranging from rat-poison and slug pellets, to a wide variety of chemicals to control insects, weeds and fungi.
As their name suggests, pesticides (or crop protection products) are treatments used to keep crops healthy. These chemicals either occur naturally or are man-made (synthetic). They help control diseases, insects and weeds that harm or destroy our food crops.
For well over 2000 years, farmers have found it necessary to use chemicals to protect their food crops.
Unlike in the past, pesticides (crop protection products) are used in grammes rather than kilogrammes per hectare. They are less toxic, more target-specific and more biodegradable than ever before.
Pesticides (also known as crop protection products) control the pests that threaten our food supply. In the developed world, we can choose from a wide variety of foods from all over the world. We expect - demand even - that this food is fresh, of high quality, free from disease and insect damage or any possible contamination. 
When developing a new pesticide (crop protection product), scientists first search for the plant pests' weaknesses and then seek to develop a molecule to attack this weak point. This active ingredient controls the problem weed, insect or fungus while having no effect on other non-target organisms. The development of new active substances is also essential to manage the occurrence of resistance by diversifying the available crop protection tools. 
On the Fact or Fiction page ECPA tries its best to unravel popular myths, misperceptions and urban legends that pop up in the international media. We identify misleading arguments and statistics for you and help you sort ‘good’ information from ‘bad’. 
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