The precautionary principle and pesticides

In 1998, Greenpeace, Natuur en Milieu (Nature and Environment), Milieudefen sie (Environmental Defense), and the National Consumers Union presented a r eport about the possible risks and hazards associated with pesticide residu es on fruits and vegetables. Although these organizations explicitly denied having unassailable evidence on the harmful effects of pesticides, they cl aimed that by now there are sufficient indications that pesticides may inde ed lead to such health hazards. They used an appeal to the so-called precau tionary principle to underpin their claims. The committee officially in cha rge of deciding on the admission of pesticides accused the organizations of scaremongering. After distinguishing three possible versions of the precau tionary principle, we then show that the four organizations used in their c ampaign an improper version of the precautionary principle to convince the general public.