This is a link to a Position Paper of the American Council on Science and Health — Professor Allan S. Felsot, Washington State University.  Controversy surrounding pesticide use at first glance would seem to date back to the 1962 publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring.  However, her superficial analysis ignores the long history of pesticide control statutes such as the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA 1938) and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act (FIFRA 1947).  Despite the headlines of hazard, modern chemical technology provides hope for continued improvement of human health, whether helping to make vegetables and fruits of high quality more abundant and cheaper, or to preserve (or indeed, enhance) the health of individuals and society at large.  Once again, the truth flies into the face of the detractors of modern science.  Common knowledge is not always real knowledge.  This is an excellent position paper, especially for folks worried about the safety of the food that is not labeled "organic."