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5 months ago
I'm outraged about DDT use by our neighbors to the south and its detrimental effect on not only songbirds, but also farm workers in those countries. But I think the core of this concern should be focused on forcing countries to stop using DDT. Indeed, it is the US's demand for fruit that drives the use of DDT, but such chemicals would be widely used in those countries whether we are eating fruit there or not. The core of the problem isn't exactly our need for fruit, but a country allowing the use of DDT.
The US is a mass of wealth in the Americas, for better or for worse, and for our country to purchase fruit from outside our borders is a transfer of some of this wealth to places that needs it.
Indeed, reducing consumption of such fruit could send a message about DDT, if such a reduction is possible. But doesn't it also cripple an economy where fruit is one of the few viable exports of developing Central American countries? This would really only hurt the people of this country working on the farms.
Furthermore, if we actually had a leader in this country who cared about such cross-border agricultural issues -- which DDT is only one of many -- the US's demand for the products would be the leverage point to force such a change.
Ideally, the system should be set up that DDT-free fruit is grown in these countries and then transported to the U.S. by the greenest means possible to reduce agricultures carbon footprint. The scenario is completely possible, I believe.
D.