The QLP Demands Study on the Impact of Pesticides

The MNA representing Maurice Richard and Liberal Critic for Environment, the Fight Against Climate Change and Agriculture, Ms. Marie Montpetit, is calling for a study on how use and exposure to pesticides impact our health.

The MNA thus joins her voice to that of the Union des Producteurs Agricoles (UPA) which has also asked François Legault’s government to conduct such a study. The population and farmers need to have enlightened information and it is the State’s job to provide answers to their concerns.

Ms. Montpetit wants this study to catalogue the effects of pesticides from the field to the plate. The results of these analyses will allow us to develop best agricultural practices that are respectful of the environment. All of Quebec’s consumers stand to benefit.

Quebec farmers are innovative and want to do more to encourage farming that is greener and more successful. To achieve that, they need to have access to all pertinent information. The government also shares in the responsibility to support them in order for this shift to succeed.

The Union des Producteurs Agricoles has called on the government to provide compensation for farmers making efforts to reduce their use of pesticides. The UPA is still waiting for the government to respond, while the parliamentary committee’s work on pesticides is set to begin on September 23.

There are still many unanswered questions about the use of pesticides and their impacts on our health. The government must document this issue so that as a society we can make enlightened decisions. It must also establish the conditions to allow our farmers to develop the best possible practices.

–Marie Montpetit, MNA representing Maurice-Richard and Liberal Critic for Environment, The Fight Against Climate Change and Agriculture.