Editorial: Toxicity of Pesticides on Health and Environment

摘要

The aim of this research topic was to explore different aspects of the effects of pesticides on human health and the environment from a multidisciplinary point of view. The sustainability of agricultural cropping systems is a fundamental question on which the future of humanity is relying. Several indicators tend to suggest that the current system of agricultural production is reaching its limits and become unsustainable (Nicolopoulou-Stamati et al.). One hallmark of modern intensive agriculture, as well as a cause of farming system decline, is the intensive use of pesticides. They are used to kill insects, fungi or undesirable plants, reducing the biodiversity of agricultural landscapes to only one edible crop. This type of crop management has long-term detrimental effects on farming systems as the lack of biodiversity directly affects soil resilience.