USDA Plans to Eliminate Pesticide Reporting Program

   The United States Department of Agriculture plans to eliminate its pesticide reporting program due to lack of funding. Their program, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, tracked and published pesticide use since 1991. Reporting has been on the decline for the past few years with data collection limited to cotton, apples, and organic apples in the 2007 growing season.
   A coalition of 44 organizations including environmental, sustainable farming, and health advocacy groups are urging the USDA to reconsider. “Without USDA’s data, we will no longer be able to reliably track trends in pesticide use such as the substantial spike in the use of herbicides over the past six years,” said Bill Freese of the Center for Food Safety.