Pesticides applied worldwide to combat pests

Abstract

A major concern in agriculture is that more than half of all food production (including food in storage) is being lost to pests despite more than 3 million tons of pesticides being utilized worldwide. Losses of this magnitude continue at a time when more than 66 % of all the human population is malnourished. Evidence suggests that pesticide use could be reduced 50–60 % without reducing crop yields or substantially reducing cosmetic standards.