Pesticides in Pipe Tobacco?
- Thread starter wolflarsen
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True, but since 1972 DDT has actively banned in most countries. It is possible, but with cheaper and more effective crop insecticides on the market, the farmer would have to be pretty ignorant to use it. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but... Mostly it is still used directly on people in powdered form as a very effective form of lice and body parasites. But, it can happen.
Sable- Well, I guess pointing out the obvious is sometimes seen as confrontational here. Didn't want to be that.
I've got 16oz of Haddos, 16oz of Hal 0' The Wynd, and 250g of FVF sitting in some damned customs depot about a half hour from here for two weeks now. That's on 3-5 day shipping. I love Brazil, on the whole, but in times like these, I feel like marching over there and saying something mean.
Didn't want to cross the lines here and make this thread my whipping post.
Pesticides, generally, are something I try to avoid. But in tobacco, I've just accepted them. Otherwise, I think it just makes good common sense to try and wash them off anything you consume or even better, source things that don't contain them in the first place. However, organic is not always the answer. They are also allowed to use pesticides and be called organic as long as the pesticides meet certain criteria. But, that doesn't mean that it is not harmful for you. So, just know that the "organic" label does not equate "no exposure to harmful substances."
I've got 16oz of Haddos, 16oz of Hal 0' The Wynd, and 250g of FVF sitting in some damned customs depot about a half hour from here for two weeks now. That's on 3-5 day shipping. I love Brazil, on the whole, but in times like these, I feel like marching over there and saying something mean.
Didn't want to cross the lines here and make this thread my whipping post.
Pesticides, generally, are something I try to avoid. But in tobacco, I've just accepted them. Otherwise, I think it just makes good common sense to try and wash them off anything you consume or even better, source things that don't contain them in the first place. However, organic is not always the answer. They are also allowed to use pesticides and be called organic as long as the pesticides meet certain criteria. But, that doesn't mean that it is not harmful for you. So, just know that the "organic" label does not equate "no exposure to harmful substances."
Another problem would be determining the half life of said deleterious substances in the tobacco . Just because there is farm residue to begin with , does not equate to the same substance surviving heat processing and aging , in short , it could break down.
Although , counterpoint , if the pesticides were for example petroleum based , they would be fat soluable and could even collect in the plant oils and resins.
Much study would be needed ..
Although , counterpoint , if the pesticides were for example petroleum based , they would be fat soluable and could even collect in the plant oils and resins.
Much study would be needed ..
Organic pesticides are things that typically have no affect (or no negative affects) on us, such as diamateous earth, which is a crushed fossil that stabs through insects' exoskeletons, but which have no affects on us, and is included in many of our foods. But, then comes the question of what it turns into when we burn it.
There is the Catch 22 is when it comes to tobacco, this is a product that isn't merely eaten or applied topically. There really aren't a huge amount of crop products that are ingested by burning. So, I imagine that commercial pesticides haven't been tested for such.
There is the Catch 22 is when it comes to tobacco, this is a product that isn't merely eaten or applied topically. There really aren't a huge amount of crop products that are ingested by burning. So, I imagine that commercial pesticides haven't been tested for such.
But... the uses of any chemical that is approved for use on tobacco will come with a set of standards for how long to be used before harvest and such. This is most likely based on (at least) minimal testing.
Thanks for the very informative answers to a question I don't really want to think about. I think I'll just go smoke some tobacco.
Everything unadoptedlamp and cosmic said plus... isn't the biggest danger radioactive phosphorus and the burning of radioactive isotopes? I believe C.Evret Coop the surgeon General behind the surgeon Generals warning, from the Reagan era postulated that the majority of tobacco related cancers were due to this phosphorus in fertilizers rather than the plant itself or pesticides and herbicides...
Maybe in a whole leaf form, but “I believe” (last i heard) that the one company that was selling organic tobacco processed and ready for consumption was phased out for “what i believe” was their license to farm tobacco. Or, or something along those lines. My damned old brain, relying on its memory. But, I don’t believe any commercial tobaccos sold now are organic by the trade name.
For me, and this years crop, hornworms were horrible. I was picking them off my small crop every night, and one could eat three leaves in one day. Thuricide, diamteous earth, and castille soap was used (all organic) but they just ate the stuff like it was merely condiments. My previous years experience, I never had any issues with hornworms. I maybe have lost 20% of my crop to them. On a large scale, that might pass mustard, but when I am only growing about 20lbs, it matters. Plus, when dealings with acres of tobacco, hand picking off worms is not an option, so they could lose mich higher percentages. That taps the wallet hard.
But, using a commercial insecticide never crossed my mind. I could buy commercial leaf all day long. I just wanted to make something different for myself.
I started a few trays of tobacco last spring but they didn’t grow , I think overwatering , my bad.
Was interested to see how they would fair , so just an experimental batch of a few varieties .
Try again next year and plan to grow them au natural .
Was interested to see how they would fair , so just an experimental batch of a few varieties .
Try again next year and plan to grow them au natural .
Cosmic- It seems like your crops are nearly as "organic" as they come.
I guess I always just hoped that since pesticides cost money and farmers are penny pinchin'... well, maybe they'd go easy on the application of it. I was just assuming that pesticides cost enough money to be worth saving.
But, if someone came along and said they were going to give my business a haircut of about 20%, I do believe that's something I might fight back against. Seems like a sizeable chunk to take off the top for any business and I wouldn't be surprised in the least if people start chemical warfare to hang on to that. I just hoped they wouldn't.
I read that pesticides, like fertilizers, can be quite bad. However, what's even worse is the application of them. If the farmer is relatively well educated, the problems aren't so big or they are not even problems. It's people who don't know what the hell they are doing, who just slosh on everything and hope for the best, that really screw it up.
Some countries, no doubt, do a fantastic job overall in growing tobacco. But, there must be some dodgy places where things happen that you don't want to know anything about. With most premium tobacco supposedly going to the cigarette market, it makes me wonder what's getting tossed into my pipe.
But then I quickly tamp out that thought and tune into something more pleasant.
I guess I always just hoped that since pesticides cost money and farmers are penny pinchin'... well, maybe they'd go easy on the application of it. I was just assuming that pesticides cost enough money to be worth saving.
But, if someone came along and said they were going to give my business a haircut of about 20%, I do believe that's something I might fight back against. Seems like a sizeable chunk to take off the top for any business and I wouldn't be surprised in the least if people start chemical warfare to hang on to that. I just hoped they wouldn't.
I read that pesticides, like fertilizers, can be quite bad. However, what's even worse is the application of them. If the farmer is relatively well educated, the problems aren't so big or they are not even problems. It's people who don't know what the hell they are doing, who just slosh on everything and hope for the best, that really screw it up.
Some countries, no doubt, do a fantastic job overall in growing tobacco. But, there must be some dodgy places where things happen that you don't want to know anything about. With most premium tobacco supposedly going to the cigarette market, it makes me wonder what's getting tossed into my pipe.
But then I quickly tamp out that thought and tune into something more pleasant.
Nowadays, commercial farmers attend classes, usually by their local Ag Agency, especially if they are a part of a cooperative. We learn the dangers of using chemicals to our soil. If a farmer is educated, he won't want to kill his soil for merely one year's return. So, most farmers will be good stewards of their land. And, if one leases his land for a crop, he will still have control over what is sprayed or applied.
Plus, we have to sign for most pesticides and herbicides (especially if using large amounts), and we are responsible for them if audited by the state. So, there is a little oversight, which is good. I might not appreciate my yahoo neighbor dumping herbicides on his soil where the runoff would affect my land or my drinking water. But, for the most part, all of the farmers I know in my area are smart guys, with a sense of responsibility. But, I try to stick to crops sold for industrial use. It's just less headache. Plus corn and soy bean can be cultivated without most chemicals or even much tilling. This helps preserve the soil from erosion and leaching off the good stuff.
Plus, we have to sign for most pesticides and herbicides (especially if using large amounts), and we are responsible for them if audited by the state. So, there is a little oversight, which is good. I might not appreciate my yahoo neighbor dumping herbicides on his soil where the runoff would affect my land or my drinking water. But, for the most part, all of the farmers I know in my area are smart guys, with a sense of responsibility. But, I try to stick to crops sold for industrial use. It's just less headache. Plus corn and soy bean can be cultivated without most chemicals or even much tilling. This helps preserve the soil from erosion and leaching off the good stuff.
Well, most tobaccos that we get for pipe tobacco comes from the cigarette industry, or at least their processors. I have no idea what percentage, but...
I seem to remember an older article by Greg Pease which stated something to the effect that the big tobacco companies (cigarette) hoover up most of the premium tobacco and what's left over is for pipe tobacco and other lesser markets.
It's maybe not exactly like this, but that was the general impression. Perhaps I'm mistaken.
With most of pipe tobacco being aromatic, I don't see why you would need the best of the best leaf. I can understand it would be ideal, but if you're going to treat it heavily with perfume and flavouring, I expect it would be less important to have quality leaf in those blends than it would in a cigarette.
It's a little like using some spice or extra time on the grill to hide some funky meat.
It's maybe not exactly like this, but that was the general impression. Perhaps I'm mistaken.
With most of pipe tobacco being aromatic, I don't see why you would need the best of the best leaf. I can understand it would be ideal, but if you're going to treat it heavily with perfume and flavouring, I expect it would be less important to have quality leaf in those blends than it would in a cigarette.
It's a little like using some spice or extra time on the grill to hide some funky meat.
All tobacco is merely processed. What we call "Red Virginias" are also called the "fermented Flue Cured" used in Marlboro Reds. Maybe some companies contract a few independent farmers, but with recent restructuring of the buying process, I doubt it. I think that many people think of cigarette tobacco as sub-par tobacco, but really it's what they do to it just before stuffing it into tubes that makes it sub-par.
But, I will leave the explanation of how a pipe tobacco company acquires their tobaccos to someone in their industry.
But, just because an aromatic uses a very mild white burley, doesn't mean that burley is not of great "quality." I think the word "quality" might mean something different to the general public than it means to buyers in the tobacco industry.
But, I will leave the explanation of how a pipe tobacco company acquires their tobaccos to someone in their industry.
But, just because an aromatic uses a very mild white burley, doesn't mean that burley is not of great "quality." I think the word "quality" might mean something different to the general public than it means to buyers in the tobacco industry.
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