Bernie McClean

Grain/Oilseed/Pulse/Hay producer, dabbling in Bison! Agricultural agronomy and research are my Happy Place! Tweets are my own😎

[Simon Maechling @simonmaechling]

Let’s talk about pesticides.
Because this debate is going off the rails.

Yes - pesticides can have environmental and health impacts.

Of course they can. Every biologically active substance does.

But what people don’t tell you is that risk is not about presence. It’s about dose, exposure, and context.

And that’s where the conversation tends to fall apart.
We are incredibly good today at detecting chemicals at vanishingly small concentrations.

But detection is not danger.

In Europe, pesticide residues in food are typically well below established safety thresholds, often by large margins, even under worst-case exposure scenarios.

Yet the public discussion rarely distinguishes between: hazard (what something could do in extreme conditions), and risk (what it actually does under real-world exposure).

Those are not the same thing.

Now let’s address the elephant in the room.
“If pesticides are safe, why is there so much controversy?”

Simple: uncertainty + perception + trade-offs.

Scientific studies do not always agree.

Consumers strongly associate “synthetic” with “danger,” regardless of measured risk.

Media narratives tend to amplify hazard rather than exposure.

That combination is powerful.
But here’s the part that is almost always missing.

Modern agriculture depends on crop protection.

Without it:
yields drop
crop losses increase
farming systems change fundamentally
and some practices (like regenerative agriculture) become much harder to maintain.

There are trade-offs here that don’t fit into a headline.

So where does that leave us?

Do pesticides have downsides?
Yes.

Are some uses problematic?
Also yes.

Should we continuously improve regulation, monitoring, and alternatives?
Absolutely.

But reducing the entire discussion to “chemicals = danger” is not science.

It’s a shortcut.

The real question isn’t:
“Are pesticides harmful?”
Everything can be, under the wrong conditions.

The real question is:
Compared to what?

Compared to:
lower yields
higher land use
increased mycotoxins
or less predictable food supply

That’s the actual decision space.
We don’t have a “pesticide problem.”

We have a risk literacy problem.

And until we fix that, we’ll keep arguing about the wrong thing.

[SaskBarley @SaskBarley]

📢 ❗ Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus found in two fields in NW Sask.

Learn more: https://t.co/wkKNKJrcEN

Subscribe to the PCDMN in-season updates for timely information and scouting strategies at https://t.co/7Kx4JPhXcM.

#SaskAg #GrowBarley #BarleyDisease #PCDMN

[Bernie McClean @bcmcclean]

How is this ok? $70B/yr.

[Blacklock's Reporter @mindingottawa]

.@FinanceCanada debt charges are careening to $70B/yr, more than the federal cost of medicare, warns Budget Office. Cost of carrying the nt'l debt was as little as $24B/year before the pandemic. 
https://t.co/5APuKClTbY #cdnpoli 
@PBO_DPB @FPChampagne

[Bernie McClean @bcmcclean]

@WheatGeerJJ Lol, unfortunate times we are living through isn't it John. I had hoped he would stick to his word but as already mentioned, "unfortunately" not. I am at a complete loss for words when thinking about politics, not just in North America but, around the world???

[Blaine Forsberg MSc @bforsber]

We know canola #InVigor and our full range of crop protection products stand out, that’s #Performance for bin busting results. Here is two leading actives in one jug #cotegra Try it, and experience industry leading sclerotinia protection ‘ We Create #Chemistry ‘ from your friends @BASFAgSolutions #LetsGo #StandAboveTheCrowd

[Kaci Leys @kacidale]

12 inches of rain in less than 12 hours. The gates have opened in west central Sask!

[Agriculture Carbon Alliance @cdnagalliance]

In one peak month in 2023, a mere 50 farms paid $329,644 in carbon tax. With the increased carbon tax that came into effect April 1, that total would have been $431,545. Learn more about the real cost of the carbon tax: https://t.co/veOoQYuAwC
#cdnag #cdnpoli #ShowYourReceipts

[John Barlow @JohnBarlowMP]

BREAKING‼️

StatsCan confirmed: Average net operating farm income decreased by 2.9% in 2022.

Total farm expenses increased by 18.6%, largest gain since 1979.

Trudeau is doubling down on his 23% carbon tax increase on April 1st.

This Liberal-NDP govt is not worth the cost.

[Bernie McClean @bcmcclean]

Well said Kristjan, I couldn't agree more.

[Bernie McClean @bcmcclean]

@rgstone1 Haha, like chocolates, I'll just peek in every now and again and then close it up.

[Bernie McClean @bcmcclean]

Lol Rob, that has to be the quote of the day!

[Rob Stone 🇨🇦 🧢 @rgstone1]

@cf9my749pk @PremierScottMoe @CarlaBeckSK I haven’t seen the post

Share it or send it to me if you like

X is like a box of chocolates you never know what you will find when you post on it!

[Stuart Smyth @stuartsmyth66]

Very pleased to have been invited by @cbcradio to speak this afternoon about EU regulations affecting farmers there and what farmers here might expect. Thanks for the invitation and looking forward to it.

[Ron Krahn @RonKrahn]

FT Farm Laborer https://t.co/ch9eVovnbM

[highheels&fields @lesleyraekelly]

The government does not speak for, or represent my farm…..or understand the repercussions of how they are hurting agriculture and family farms across Canada.

[Bernie McClean @bcmcclean]

Great news, and huge thank you to @davecarey_ and Scott Ross for all your efforts. I know you guys have worked tirelessly for this!!!

[Agriculture Carbon Alliance @cdnagalliance]

#cdnag - Your voices were heard loud and clear!

The amendment to #C234 was rejected. Thank you to everyone who raised their voice and to the dedication of champions like @wellsdavid , @SenatorRobBlack, @DonPlett , @JohnBarlowMP , and @BenLobbMP !

[Bernie McClean @bcmcclean]

@crosbydevitt @SenateCA @GrainFarmers @SenatorRobBlack Great news Crosby, I've been busy loading malt barley out today and jumped on Twitter now specifically to find this. You popped up first. Thanks for all you and my farmer counterparts in Ontario do. Another thank you to @SenatorRobBlack and @SenateCA, this was the right decision.

[Agriculture Carbon Alliance @cdnagalliance]

Bill #C234 saw multi-party support in the House of Commons. Senators, let's unlock the potential of #CdnAg. Senators, this fall #SupportCDNFarmers and vote for Bill #C234.

Learn more: https://t.co/L0iZc0XIwX

#SupportCDNFarmers #CdnPoli

[Bernie McClean @bcmcclean]

Couldn't agree more, let's get it done @SenateCA. Thank you @JohnBarlowMP , @KodyBloisNS and senators @SenatorRobBlack @wellsdavid

[Dave Carey @davecarey_]

Great to see this bi-partisan letter penned by @JohnBarlowMP & @KodyBloisNS sent to the @SenateCA #AGFO Committee

Bill #C234 is a nonpartisan bill & has been studied from all angles. It needs to be passed in a timely manner, not bogged down by out of scope amendments!

#cdnag

[Dave Carey @davecarey_]

Great to see this bi-partisan letter penned by @JohnBarlowMP & @KodyBloisNS sent to the @SenateCA #AGFO Committee

Bill #C234 is a nonpartisan bill & has been studied from all angles. It needs to be passed in a timely manner, not bogged down by out of scope amendments!

#cdnag

[Agriculture Carbon Alliance @cdnagalliance]

Thank you @JohnBarlowMP and @KodyBloisNS for your continued work on #C234 and dedication to #cdnag.

We appreciate the tireless work of @SenatorRobBlack and @wellsdavid championing this bill in the Senate.

Our farmers are counting on you - let's pass #C234 without delay!