Seventy-eight Percent of Brazilians Feel Food Produced With Pesticides is Unsafe

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The majority of Brazilians — 78 percent — believe that the consumption of food with pesticides is not safe for their health. The information is in the Datafolha survey released on Wednesday, July 24th, by newspaper Folha de S.Paulo.

For 72 percent of Brazilians, the food produced in the country contains more pesticides than it should.

Among women, that number is even higher. In all, 81 percent believe that consuming chemicals is bad for their health. In the men’s group, the rate is 75 percent.

The number of those who consider pesticide consumption unsafe decreases with income: 79 percent of those who earn up to two minimum wages and 67 percent above ten wages.

Among those who voted for president Jair Bolsonaro, 77 percent think that food with pesticides is unsafe.

Since the beginning of the year, the Bolsonaro administration has released 290 pesticides. On Monday, July 22nd, the Ministry of Agriculture approved the use of 51 more kinds. This number is considered the highest in the period.