I’m not terribly surprised by this Greenpeace report: Greenpeace urges action after toxic produce found. But, it is disturbing to know just how many different pesticides are being used, and especially that farmers are using banned pesticides.
Poor Greenpeace. They seem to think the COA are in the business of controlling pesticides. It’s all done with a nudge and a wink from TPTB, because everybody genuinely believes that (a) pesticides work and (b) you can’t grow anything in Taiwan without them.
You are being too cynical. While overuse of pesticides has been an issue for decades it has gotten worse recently as smuggled pesticides from China have entered the market. Many of these contain banned or unknown substances. It’s bad enough that even the normally “hey Taiwan needs more not less petrochemical and nuclear plants” American Chamber of Commerce is worried.
I just learned that dragon fruit is pretty safe, because at least insects are not interested in the plants and therefore pesticides are not necessary. Also water bamboo (jiaobaisun) usually doesn’t require a lot of chemicals to grow, as a farmer in Puli told us.
I wonder how much poison is in apples imported from overseas. Some of those apples have a distinct chemical smell to me.
Another thing I hear frequently is that the skin of bananas is sprayed with some sort of “ripening agent” which is not very healthy and that you should wash your hand after peeling a banana. Any truth to that?
Not sure abotu the ripening agent but I wash all fruit on the outside before handling and clean my hands afterwards before touching anything else.
The hairy green bean is pretty safe, insects can’t get into the pods easily. Melon stems are also a good choice.
[quote=“hannes”]
I wonder how much poison is in apples imported from overseas. Some of those apples have a distinct chemical smell to me.[/quote]
Apples routinely top the lists of ‘dirtiest fruit’, pesticide-wise. Go organic, and ignore the blemishes. (Still wash them well, though, just in case.)
Sure, but the reason people are using them is because they believe they’re necessary and effective, which in turn is a result of urban myths spread by poorly-informed government extension agents who aren’t keeping up with the research (even the USDA now admits that pesticides often do more harm than good, or are only marginally effective). Nobody would spend money on smuggled (expensive?) pesticides if they thought they didn’t need them.
While I realise there are occasionally times and places where pesticides are the right solution, those instances are few and far between. If your crops are being regularly decimated, it’s probably because you’ve done something stupid.
This is why I eat a pure twinkie diet, one can’t be too safe these days!
Would be interesting to compare locally produced fruits with imported ones. Do local farmers use chemicals more excessively than farmers abroad? Does the longer transport, storage, harvesting before fruits are ripe, etc. necessitate the need to use more chemicals for imported fruits?
Eating fruits from places like California, Chile or New Zealand seems to bea bit perverse considering that Taiwan has so much variety when it comes to fruit and its availability throughout the year.
Sure, but the reason people are using them is because they believe they’re necessary and effective, which in turn is a result of urban myths spread by poorly-informed government extension agents who aren’t keeping up with the research (even the USDA now admits that pesticides often do more harm than good, or are only marginally effective). Nobody would spend money on smuggled (expensive?) pesticides if they thought they didn’t need them.
While I realise there are occasionally times and places where pesticides are the right solution, those instances are few and far between. If your crops are being regularly decimated, it’s probably because you’ve done something stupid.[/quote]
Do you have any links on that? Of course I don’t doubt you I just would like to have some ammunition next time I get into a heated debate with uncle A-huang about his buying old stock of agent orange for spraying the tea fields.
Yeah, several, but I’m in the UK at the moment so they’re not to hand. I’ll root them out when I get back. A bit of googling will turn up some interesting academic papers on the subject, I’m sure. But you’ll never win an argument with A-huang, however solid your evidence. I get “farmers” coming up to me, pointing at stuff growing on my plot, and telling me confidently, “you can’t grow that here/this season/without burning some paper money”. The fact that it’s already growing perfectly well in front of their eyes just passes them by. As a wise lady once said somewhere, this is Taiwan, where things are what they are, even when they’re not.
I believe that is a actual quote, too. 
That’s organic for ya.
Can you actually trust locally grown Taiwanese “organic” labeled foods to actually be organic?
I’d say: if you can’t trust farmers not to use forbidden/banned/illegal pesticides, can you trust the “organic” food actually being organic? Maybe they’ll have less pesticides on it, but I wouldn’t place a bet on it…
It depends what you mean by organic, the regulations and labeling varies. IMO there are some genuine organic farmers and vendors so it is possible to source, it’s just difficult to figure out which are more trustworthy.
That’s a good answer, HH2. There are assuredly genuine organic farmers and vendors, but in any field, there will be someone cheating if there’s a profit to be made. However, on average you’ll get a lot less pesticide residue on what you buy if you buy organic, and you’re less likely to get illegal pesticides too, IMO.
Look for leafy veggies with some insect holes in them. You may find a small snail or two in the package, too.
It helps if you are married to a local who is passionate about getting safe produce and who spends a significant amount of time networking with like-minded people and farmers, talking with them at farmers’ markets and even traveling to meet them at their farms and see their stuff growing. The people who quit their city jobs and returned to the land specifically because they didn’t trust the food supply and wanted to start growing organic stuff are generally good bets to buy from.
http://www.consoglobe.com/pesticides-fruits-legumes-pollues-3076-cg article in French
article about pesticide in fruits/ vegetables
http://www.leparisien.fr/societe/des-pesticides-interdits-retrouves-dans-des-fraises-francaises-et-espagnoles-09-07-2013-2968609.php
French strawberries vs Spanish ones in french
http://www.francetvinfo.fr/sante/video-la-fraise-cocktail-de-saveurs-et-de-pesticides_366216.html in french
92% of French strawberries are contaminated and 100% for the Spanish ones
225 different chemicals in 50 samples… this is scary stuff
actually all farmers have the right to use pesticides and there are laws for that.
For example a farmer can use “A” pesticide to a certain amount and do not have the right to overpass the legal limit.
Unfortunately, there is no limit on "how many different pesticides " you have the right to use (I am not 100% sure about this law so need to be double checked 
), therefore, no one do something illegal by using sometimes 40 different chemicals and staying completely legal.
[quote=“Dragonbones”]That’s a good answer, HH2. There are assuredly genuine organic farmers and vendors, but in any field, there will be someone cheating if there’s a profit to be made. However, on average you’ll get a lot less pesticide residue on what you buy if you buy organic, and you’re less likely to get illegal pesticides too, IMO.
Look for leafy veggies with some insect holes in them. You may find a small snail or two in the package, too.
It helps if you are married to a local who is passionate about getting safe produce and who spends a significant amount of time networking with like-minded people and farmers, talking with them at farmers’ markets and even traveling to meet them at their farms and see their stuff growing. The people who quit their city jobs and returned to the land specifically because they didn’t trust the food supply and wanted to start growing organic stuff are generally good bets to buy from.[/quote]
Yep. Don’t forget too there are consumer groups in Taiwan who check these things. The Housewives Association, which has their own outlets, is a very credible source, and regular do spot checks on the farmers that supply them. Cottonland also has a good reputation.
And I’d eat anything you’d eat (though I might not wear everything you make). 