5 Tips to Fight Against Pesticides

When you buy food, pesticides are unavoidable. However, the means exist to reduce their presence as much as possible, since even small amounts can build up in your body over time. In this article, we have compiled 5 tips to help you reduce the pesticide residue in your food both while shopping and at home.

And if you wish to always have these 5 tips on hand, you can download it here and stick it on your fridge!

BUY FROM LOCAL PRODUCERS

Getting to know the small farmers in your area is always the best solution, when possible. By talking to them and eventually visiting their farm, you’ll be able to have first-hand information on the kind of products they use in their fields.

What’s more, you’ll build a relationship of trust with your farmers of choice and support their work.

GROW WHAT YOU CAN

There’s nothing better than eating what you grew! Not everyone has access to land or time to take care of a garden. But some vegetables and fruits – like aromatic herbs, tomatoes, chilies, strawberries and lettuce – can be planted in pots and need little care.

It’s a great chance to reconnect to the origin of our food while making sure we stay pesticide-free.

LEARN TO READ FOOD LABELS

Investigate the way your food is produced by reading food labels. Although standards vary from one country to another, food production systems like agroecology are a safe bet, as they barely use any pesticides, if at all. So, look for organic or agroecological indications on how your food was produced and find out what those certifications actually mean.

Agroecology is an approach to farming that considers our fields and food gardens as ecosystems. It means planting a wide variety of plants whose coexistence benefits all, minimizing the use of pesticides and opting for traditional pest management techniques (crop rotation, use of resistant varieties etc.)

WASH, PEEL, TRIM YOUR FOOD!

Back in 2022, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded that half of the fruit and vegetables on the European market are still contaminated with residues of at least one pesticide, while a quarter of them contains a cocktail of up to 15 pesticide residues.

If you wish to remove some of it, make sure you wash fruits and vegetables and scrub them under running water. Also, when unsure about your food’s origin, peel fruits and vegetables to get rid of pesticide residues. We know, peels are one of the most nutritious parts of fruits. However, unfortunately, it’s also where most of the pesticides are deposited.

JOIN THE POLITICAL FIGHT

The kind of food we eat is heavily influenced by the food and agricultural policies of our governments. Join campaigns and mobilizations that raise the alarm: this can be on social media or in the streets, from online petitions to demonstrations against industrial farming. You want to speak directly to those in power? Take part in public debates and forums with local decision-makers.

You can vote, too – and not just with your fork! – for election candidates with proposals for sustainable, pesticide-free agriculture.

We hope you enjoy these 5 tips to fight against pesticides!

Eating a mango or enjoying some fresh tomatoes should be something one does without worrying! This is why Slow Food fights for good, clean, and fair food which is safe for us and for the planet.

Learn more about how you can get involved on our website, through our newsletter or on social media. We have power in numbers, so help us fight for a pesticide-free world!