Lecture 8 - Chemically Dependent Agriculture

The change from smaller, more diverse farms to larger single-crop farms in the U.S. has led to greater reliance on pesticides for pest management. Other changes as the U.S. food system becomes more commercialized include: increased use of additives, higher food prices, more water and energy consumption for agriculture, and more pesticide residues entering food through processing. Pesticides have also been used to combat insect-borne diseases, like malaria. The lecture provides an overview of relevant food, agriculture, and pesticide law, and covers the changes in pesticide use as scientific knowledge of a given chemical (i.e. DDT) improves. **Reading assignment:** Pollan, //The Omnivore's Dilemma// **Resources** ;[[http://oyc.yale.edu/sites/default/files/evst255_8LecFoodAgFeb9%2710.pdf|Lecture 8 [PDF] ]]