The Environmental Impact of Herbicides: Are They Safe?

Balancing Farming and Nature

We need farms to grow food for the growing population. But we also need to consider how farming interacts with and impacts nature and the surrounding environment. There is a great necessity to create a balance between agriculture and conservation. This balance also helps to make sure we have enough food and protect the habitats for plants and animals. Herbicides are only one instance of how when we consider the implications of agriculture we need to consider both the positive and negative aspects. It is important to determine if the advantages of herbicides are too high when compared to the damage they do to the ecological systems if implemented as agricultural techniques, farmers should ensure they understand this concept.

The Risks of Using Pesticides

It’s not just herbicides that can be bad for the environment. Pesticides: Chemicals used to kill pests; includes insects and weeds. Pesticides of other types can also contaminate air, water and soil. They can kill animals and plants that were not intended to be affected, destroying the balance of nature. Certain helpful insects, for one, can suffer when pesticides are used, resulting in fewer flowers and crops. Unfortunately numerous pesticides we now know are harmful to the environment and still used. This is an issue because while these chemicals aid in the control of bugs they can cause larger problems for our biosphere.