Pesticide-intensive agriculture has become the default for how food is grown in the United States. Over one billion pounds of conventional pesticides are used in the U.S. each year. In the most recent year of data, Americans spent almost $9 billion on pesticides for agricultural use.
This widespread use causes widespread exposure. Farmworkers face the most acute exposures when applying pesticides. Due to regular exposure to pesticides and acute poisonings, farmworkers face the most chemical-related illnesses of any occupation in the U.S. and suffer between 10,000 and 20,000 pesticide poisonings per year. Communities near farms can also be exposed due to pesticide drift. In particular, those living, working, or attending school near larger farms using elevated spraying equipment or crop-dusting planes that apply chemicals to crops and fields face exposure. Children are especially vulnerable to these airborne pesticides, given that their young bodies are still growing and developing.
