6. THE THREAT OF PESTICIDES

PESTICIDES KILL
The Migratory Bird Council projects annual wild bird deaths due to pesticide poisoning to
exceed 67 million.

It is well-documented that birds in the wild are dying in mass numbers due to exposure to pesticides. Birds are killed, sickened or weakened by poisons or affected by the loss of food or habitat resources. Be it from direct contact or ingestion of toxic residues, pesticide poisoning kills more birds than any other cause.




Pesticides sprayed from planes saturate the ground
and every living thing in the area.

We know that pesticides are devastating the wild bird population, but what do we know about pesticides and pet birds?

It is not a secret that parrots are especially sensitive to environmental toxins, such as certain metals, chemical cleaners, and overheated plastic-coated cookware

Chemicals that normally are only irritating to humans and other animals can be extremely toxic to parrots. Yet little thought is given to the potential cancers, neurological problems, hormonal imbalances, allergies and disruptions of the immune system that may be attributed directly to pesticide residues on foods that parrots ingest.






Pesticide run-off contaminates
waterways and has the potential to
poison every living being that depends on
these sources of water.

The EWG (Environmental Working Group) concluded that more than half of the total dietary risk from pesticides was concentrated in just 12 foods from the produce section of the supermarket: strawberries, bell peppers, spinach, cherries, peaches, cantaloupe, celery, apples, apricots, green beans, grapes and cucumbers.

Organic farming, or sustainable agriculture, is the first step toward moving away from this dangerous trend. Proper crop rotation breaks the cycles of pest and disease problems and balances the nutrient demands of specific crops. Alternative pest controls, such as certain insects or plantings, are incorporated into agriculture.

Organic farming works to bring you safer and healthier products, keep the farmlands in tip-top shape and leave the surrounding environment uncontaminated.

The overall impact of the organic culture involves the entire world's ecosystem, because the battle against toxic contaminants threatens all life on earth in one way or another.