Robert Van Den Bosch: Stop the Pesticide Conspiracy
(Page 11 of 12)
July/August 1979
By the Mother Earth News staff
PLOWBOY: Suppose enough farmers and gardeners in a "backward state"—a region that doesn't know much about integrated insect control—insist upon having such information made available to them . . . could they perhaps convince their state extension service to look into the new pest control methods?
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VAN DEN BOSCH: That's hard to say, although I would certainly hope so. There is, however, another option available, the Environmental Protection Agency ' s Office of Pesticide Programs . . . a group that operates a kind of national clearing house for pest management data.
PLOWBOY: How would an interested person get in touch with the Agency's Office of Pesticide Programs?
VAN DEN BOSCH: The organization can be reached by telephone at 202/755-9343 . . . or by writing to the Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticide Problems, 401 M Street S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460.
PLOWBOY: And the staff there has access to integrated control information?
VAN DEN BOSCH: Yes, they're quite familiar with the integrated approach. In fact, the OPP is currently in the process of beefing up its whole spectrum of educational and informative programs that deal with the integrated pest management concept.
PLOWBOY: As another possibility couldn't groups of growers write directly to their senators and congressmen or—women? It would seem that if pressure were put on these branches of government, the politicians might—in turn convince their states' extension services to look into the potentials of ecological pest control.
VAN DEN BOSCH: If there were enough pressure brought to bear . . . that result would be possible. Unfortunately, however, it would be difficult for farmers to generate an adequate number of letters without going through agricultural organizations . . . and it's been my experience that many such associations identify with the stereotyped pesticide control approach.
PLOWBOY: That doesn't have to be the case, though: A grassroots campaign carried out by individuals- could break this ag-organization/chemical—industry alliance.
VAN DEN BOSCH: Yes, such a movement could do a lot of good. And I think that's about the only way to divorce the commodity and growers' groups from the chemical establishment . . . the loose organization that I call the pesticide mafia.
PLOWBOY: Of course, the chemical companies would fight any such efforts to break their hold on the farmers. But individual growers who realize that there are alternatives to the present cycle of bigger pesticide bills and greater insect problems still have the option of working within their agricultural organizations to get integrated control information out into the open . . . to combat the propaganda efforts of the pesticide people.
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