Safety of aerial application

All crop protection products must meet tough safety standards.  Only one in 20,000 chemicals actually survives the 8 to 10 year process of development, testing and registration by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Costs to test a pesticide's safety can range from $160 to $200 million.

Once on the market, they are monitored by the EPA, the Food and Drug Administration and state pesticide enforcement agencies.  This stringent regulatory system ensures the safety of our food, the safety of the products to the environment, to water and to the workers who mix, load and apply the products.

Aerial application helps make it possible for us to have fresh fruits and vegetables year round.  This has had a significant impact on human health, because there is strong evidence that increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of chronic disease, including many cancers.

Crop protection products also play a role in enhancing the safety of the food supply by reducing levels of natural toxins, such as mycotoxins, and reducing the potential for contamination of fresh produce by food borne human pathogens.

When applied according to label instructions, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered insecticides do not pose a risk to human health or the environment.