By James Melik Business reporter, BBC World Service Opponents to
pesticides want farmers to find alternatives The European
parliament's vote to ban the use of some pesticides has annoyed
some farmers who say it will harm production and force prices
up, though environmentalists insist it will improve the health
of producers and consumers. Supporters of pesticides say that
they are fast-acting, they work against a specific pest, they
are easy to obtain and apply, and they may increase crop
production by reducing crop losses. Opponents say that they may
damage the environment, harm people who use them and kill non-
target species, and they can drift from their original point of
application. Caroline Boin of the Campaign for Fighting Diseases
says, in an interview with BBC World Business News, that the
benefits of pesticides had not been taken into account when the
EU made its decision. "One thing which has been overlooked is
the damage this could pose to fight against vector-borne
diseases such as malaria," she s