Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), what must pesticide use avoid causing?

The requirement under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) emphasizes that pesticide use must avoid causing "unreasonable adverse effects on the environment." This phrase encompasses a broad range of potential negative impacts that pesticides could have on various environmental components, including non-target organisms, ecosystems, and human health.

FIFRA aims to balance the need for pesticide use in agriculture and public health with the need to protect the environment and ensure ecological integrity. By stipulating that pesticides should not cause unreasonable adverse effects, the act ensures that regulatory evaluation includes both the effectiveness of pesticides for their intended use and the potential risks associated with their application.

While the other options, such as beneficial insect decline, increased production costs for farmers, and pest resistance issues, may indeed be concerns related to pesticide use, they are not the primary focus of FIFRA's mandates. The legislation is primarily concerned with the overarching principle of environmental protection, making the emphasis on "unreasonable adverse effects" a fundamental aspect of responsible pesticide management and regulation.