The USDA has announced that due to budget constraints, it is unwillingly shutting down the only national public survey that tracks and measures pesticide use on crops.  Looks like we need Food & Water Watch more than ever now.  Because the report soaked up $8 million of the USDA’s $160 million annual budget, it’s just not a feasible expense anymore, even though the agency admits the data is “actually needed” by the public.

From the Contra Costa Times, probably the only newspaper in the world to have printed my name (and even then in the Walnut Creek Journal insert, but still),

Eliminating the program “will mean farmers will be subjected to conjecture and allegations about their use of chemicals and fertilizer,” said Don Lipton, a spokesman for the American Farm Bureau. ”Given the historic concern about chemical use by consumers, regulators, activist groups and farmers, it’s probably not an area where lack of data is a good idea.”

Based on the article, it seems that consumers, farmers, businesses, even pesticide companies and the USDA itself are all unhappy about the loss of this report.  But budgets are tight for some reason, and eight million bucks ain’t easy to come by.  You can read the rest of the article here, and  and contact the USDA and ask what you can do and who you need to contact to get this report back up and running, or and contact the Food & Water Watch to see what you can do to get this reversed.  Also, I’d suggest you wash your next apple a few extra times.