CAPE’s Position Statement on Synthetic Pesticides

The document outlines the health and environmental risks of synthetic pesticides, noting their persistence in biological systems and toxicity to children. It calls for a transition to organic farming and a legislated end to cosmetic pesticide use in Canada.

• The global pesticide industry is highly concentrated, with 73% of the over 2.5 million tons of chemicals applied to crops worldwide produced by ten multinational corporations, primarily in France, the U.S.A., Germany, Britain, and Switzerland.
• Pesticide poisoning is a significant global health crisis; the World Health Organization estimates that 200,000 people die annually from direct poisoning, and at least 3 million people are poisoned each year, with children being particularly vulnerable.
• Synthetic pesticides exhibit high persistence and bio-accumulation, appearing in human adipose tissue and remote ecosystems, including the high arctic and the blubber of whales in all oceans.
• CAPE recommends a transition to pesticide elimination through several specific measures: increasing funding for non-toxic pest control, creating a cost-free nationwide organic certification process, ending cosmetic pesticide use within two years, and implementing a regulatory framework based on the precautionary principle and reverse onus.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (n.d.). CAPE’s Position Statement on Synthetic Pesticides. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/8.CAPE’s-Position-Statement-on-Synthetic-Pesticides-2000.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. CAPE’s Position Statement on Synthetic Pesticides. n.d. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/8.CAPE’s-Position-Statement-on-Synthetic-Pesticides-2000.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=CAPE’s Position Statement on Synthetic Pesticides |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/8.CAPE’s-Position-Statement-on-Synthetic-Pesticides-2000.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironmentndcapes, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{CAPE’s Position Statement on Synthetic Pesticides}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/8.CAPE’s-Position-Statement-on-Synthetic-Pesticides-2000.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }