Brandon TurbevilleActivist Post
In my past two articles I have discussed the connection between pesticides, both general and POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants), to a myriad of adverse health effects such as cancer and neurological disorders, particularly Parkinson’s Disease. For these reasons alone, it is important to look at the standards currently set for such chemicals by the international standard-setting organization known as Codex Alimentarius.
As I mentioned in the first article in this series, I will distinguish between two different types of pesticides for the sole purpose of the topic of discussing Codex Alimentarius guidelines – general pesticides and POPs. General pesticides should be recognized as, quite simply, those pesticides not considered a Persistent Organic Pollutant by the Stockholm Convention. General pesticides are those which are most widely used since the Stockholm Convention actually banned the use of POPs altogether. Nevertheless, it is important to make the distinction for the purpose of clearly understanding Codex guidelines in this regard.
