Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
gives USDA the responsibility to ensure that the use, storage, and disposal of
agrochemical by users is prudent, economical, and environmentally sound, and
that users, dealers, and the general public understand the implications of their
actions and potential effects on water. However, the USDA responsibility
does not affect the EPA's authority under FIFRA.
2.
Title XVI - Research
The 1990 Farm Bill establishes several research programs aimed at
sustainable agricultural research and education, integrated management
systems, sustainable agricultural technology, development, and transfer, along
with alternative agricultural research and commercialization.
3.
Title XVI - Organic Certification
Because of the moderate increase in organic farming (using non-man made
pesticides and fertilizers), Congress established national standards governing
the marketing of organically produced farm products.
M . IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS
1.
Tolerances
A pesticide tolerance is the maximum amount of a pesticide residue that
can legally be present on a food or feed. The tolerance is expressed in ppm, or
parts of the pesticide per million parts of the food or feed by weight, and
usually applies to the raw agricultural commodity. Pesticide tolerances are set
by the EPA and enforced by the FDA or in the case of meat, poultry, and
eggs, by USDA agencies.
2.
Acceptable Daily Intake
The tolerance on each food is set sufficiently low that daily consumption
of the particular food or of all foods treated with the particular pesticide will
not result in an exposure that exceeds the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for the
pesticide. The tolerance is set still lower if the effective use of the pesticide
results in lower residues.
The acceptable daily intake (ADI) is the level of a residue to which daily
exposure over the course of the average human life span appears to be without
appreciable risk on the basis of all facts known at the time.
