This report by the Center for International Environmental Law explores a little-known source of plastic pollution: the deliberate addition to soils of pesticides and fertilisers encapsulated in microplastics. This form of agrochemical is often marketed as “controlled release”, with producers arguing that they support sustainable agriculture. The report argues that the intentional use of microplastics in agriculture should be banned on account of the potential for plastics - and the agrochemicals they carry - to accumulate in ecosystems and food supply chains.
Read the full report, Sowing a Plastic Planet: How Microplastics in Agrochemicals Are Affecting Our Soils, Our Food, and Our Future, here. See also the TABLE explainer Impacts of climatic and environmental change on food systems.
Post a new comment »