Editing Pesticide (section)

==Benefits==
Pesticides increase agricultural yields and lower costs.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Agricultural Productivity. Studies in Productivity and Efficiency |veditors=Ball VE, Norton GW |vauthors=Kellogg RL, Nehring RF, Grube A, Goss DW, Plotkin S |date=2002 |volume=2 |pages=213–56 |chapter=Environmental Indicators of Pesticide Leaching and Runoff from Farm Fields |location=Boston |chapter-url=https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Technical/land/pubs/eip_pap.html |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1-4613-5270-9 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020618151910/http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Technical/land/pubs/eip_pap.html |archive-date=June 18, 2002}}</ref> Median yield increases range between 12% and 27% when pesticides are used, depending on the crop.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ps.6782 |title=Yield to the data: some perspective on crop productivity and pesticides |date=November 2009 |website=National Library of Medicine |language=en}}</ref> Another study found that not using pesticides reduced crop yields by about 10%.<ref>{{Cite journal |vauthors=Saitoh K, Kuroda T, Kumano S |date=2001 |title=Effects of Organic Fertilization and Pesticide Application on Growth and Yield of Field-Grown Rice for 10 Years |journal=Japanese Journal of Crop Science |language=ja |volume=70 |issue=4 |pages=530–540 |doi=10.1626/jcs.70.530 |doi-access=free}}</ref> A study conducted in 1999, found that a ban on pesticides in the United States may result in a rise of [[food prices]], loss of jobs, and an increase in world hunger.<ref>{{Cite journal| vauthors=Knutson R |date=1999 |title=Economic Impact of Reduced Pesticide Use in the United States: Measurement of Costs and Benefits |journal=AFPC Policy Issues |volume=99 |issue=2 |url=https://www.afpc.tamu.edu/research/publications/148/99-2.pdf |url-status=live |archive-date=2018-12-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181203060027/https://www.afpc.tamu.edu/research/publications/148/99-2.pdf}}</ref>

There are two levels of benefits for pesticide use, primary and secondary. Primary benefits are direct gains from the use of pesticides and secondary benefits are effects that are more long-term.<ref name="Cooper" />

===Biological===
Controlling [[pest (organism)|pest]]s and plant disease vectors
*Improved [[crop yield]]s
*Improved crop/livestock quality
*[[Invasive species]] controlled

Controlling human/livestock [[disease vector]]s and nuisance organisms
*Human lives saved and disease reduced. Diseases controlled include malaria,<ref name="Cooper"/> with millions of lives having been saved or enhanced with the use of [[DDT]] alone.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Yamey G |date=May 2004 |title=Roll Back Malaria: a failing global health campaign |journal=[[The BMJ|BMJ]] |volume=328 |issue=7448 |pages=1086–7 |doi=10.1136/bmj.328.7448.1086 |pmc=406307 |pmid=15130956}}</ref>
*Animal lives saved and disease reduced

Controlling organisms that harm other human activities and structures
*Drivers view unobstructed
*Tree/brush/leaf hazards prevented
*Wooden structures protected<ref name="Cooper" />

===Economics===
In 2018 world pesticide sales were estimated to be $65 billion, of which 88% was used for agriculture.<ref name=":18" /> Generic accounted for 85% of sales in 2018.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mansfield |first1=Becky |last2=Werner |first2=Marion |last3=Berndt |first3=Christian |date=2024 |title=A new critical social science research agenda on pesticides |journal=Agriculture and Human Values|volume=41 |issue=2 |pages=395–412 |doi=10.1007/s10460-023-10492-w |doi-access=free }}</ref> In one study, it was estimated that for every dollar ($1) that is spent on pesticides for crops results in up to four dollars ($4) in crops which would otherwise be lost to insects, fungi and weeds.<ref name="Pimental1992">{{cite journal |vauthors=Pimentel D, Acquay H, Biltonen M, Rice P, Silva M |year=1992 |title=Environmental and Economic Costs of Pesticide Use |journal=BioScience |volume=42 |issue=10| pages=750–60 |jstor=1311994 |doi=10.2307/1311994}}</ref>  In general, farmers benefit from having an increase in crop yield and from being able to grow a variety of crops throughout the year. Consumers of agricultural products also benefit from being able to afford the vast quantities of produce available year-round.<ref name="Cooper">{{cite journal |vauthors=Cooper J, Dobson H |date=2007 |title=The benefits of pesticides to mankind and the environment |journal=Crop Protection |volume=26 |issue=9 |pages=1337–1348 |doi=10.1016/j.cropro.2007.03.022 |bibcode=2007CrPro..26.1337C |s2cid=84808730 |url=https://croplifefoundation.org/Documents/Research%20Briefs/PesticideBenefitsResearchPaper.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110927225454/https://croplifefoundation.org/Documents/Research%20Briefs/PesticideBenefitsResearchPaper.pdf |archive-date=September 27, 2011}}</ref>