GAO Finds That USDA and EPA Have Neglected Pledge to Cut Pesticide Use

September 27, 2001

WASHINGTON (Sept. 27) – Federal agencies can and should be doing more to encourage farmers to reduce use of toxic pesticides on U.S. crops and farmland, according to the General Accounting Office (GAO), Congress’s "watchdog" agency.

In a report requested and released by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, GAO concludes that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have done little to act on their 1993 pledge to reduce pesticide use through promotion of integrated pest management (IPM) programs. GAO found that the amount of pesticides used since then has actually increased and that while use of the riskiest pesticides has declined, they still account for more than 40 percent of all pesticides used today.

Leahy asked for the GAO study last year after learning that national pesticide use had risen by almost 40 million pounds since 1992, despite the IPM policy launched in 1993. Integrated pest management methods combine the use of chemical pesticides with nonchemical pest management practices such as planting pest-resistant crop varieties and protecting beneficial organisms. IPM has long been a high priority for farmers, communities, and environmental advocates interested in reducing chemical pesticide applications while producing high-quality crops. Pesticide producers are also interested in the technology because of the rising resistance of several species of pests to standard pesticide applications.

"Our food supply remains the safest and highest quality on earth, but we continue to overdose our farmland with powerful and toxic pesticides and to under use the safe and effective alternatives," said Leahy. "This report makes it clear that pesticide-reducing programs work, and that they need to be a higher priority to help farmers save money, protect the environment and continue producing the highest quality foods for our citizens and children."

USDA research scientists, grower associations and major food processors have shown that IPM practices can produce major environmental benefits in particular crops and locations without sacrificing yield quality or quantity or adding costs. For example, apple and pear growers in Washington, Oregon and California used IPM techniques to cut use of chemical pesticides by 80 percent. The IPM strategy reduced farmers’ pest management costs and produced a higher-quality harvest. The National Academy of Sciences, the American Crop Protection Association and others have concluded that IPM leads to more effective long-term pest management than chemical controls alone.

A longtime advocate of reducing chemical pesticide use in the United States and abroad, Leahy welcomed Agriculture Secretary Anne Veneman’s positive response to the GAO findings. USDA’s comment letter published in the report notes that the agency will use GAO’s recommendations to better implement and coordinate national IPM programs. Senator Leahy will work to include provisions from the reports’ recommendations in upcoming farm policy legislation.

The GAO report, "Management Improvements Needed to Further Promote Integrated Pest Management," is available online at GAO’s website ( and copies are available from Leahy’s office by contacting Blythe McCormack, 202-224-2398.