The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide Data Program (PDP) monitors pesticide residues on agricultural commodities in the food supply, including commodities highly consumed by infants and children. PDP data allow the EPA to assess dietary pesticide residue exposures in the United States.
For this assignment, download a copy of the latest PDP annual summary. Carefully read the document, focusing on nontechnical information such as the executive summary, introduction (section I), sampling operations (section II), sample results and discussion (section V), and Appendices F, G, H, and I. Imagine you are the school district food service director and the district dietitian in your town. You have been thinking about whether or not to include organic vegetables and fruits in school menu. Because funds are limited for the district’s school lunch program, how would you allocate the funds to buy fresh vegetables and fruits for your students? Let’s assume that organic fruits and vegetables are 10% more expensive than traditionally (conventionally) grown foods.
