Agriculture and human health

Things that tend to be damaging to the environment also tend to be damaging to human health. The interfaces of human health and sustainable agriculture are multifaceted. At a minimum, they include biological health effects, worker safety, dietary quality (including water quality), and environmental hazards. They also can encompass recreational needs, stress reduction, human scale activities, and other concepts that fit within the parameters of the World Health Organization's definition of health as a "state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.' If sustainable agriculture is to gain adequate public support, its proponents must respond to needs and concerns in all of these areas, if not every need or concern in every part of the country. What follows is a review of the literature since 1985 on the health hazards of conventional agriculture and policy issues raised by an array of private and government organizations in response to the dangers. -Author