I'm a Chemist.
10 years in the lab taught me one thing.
Everything you think about chemicals is wrong.
Here’s what they don’t want you to know: 🧵 1/ There’s no such thing as “chemical-free.”

That "chemical-free" label on your food, shampoo or cleaning product? It’s a lie.

Water is a chemical.
Air is made of chemicals.

If someone claims their product is “chemical-free,” they are clueless and trying to fool you. 2/

A recent publication titled "Pesticides have negative effects on non-target organisms" has received recent media attention.

Research on environmental effects is always valuable, and this study needs to be put into context.

Let me do that here: 🧵👇 1/ 1. The Study Focuses on Effects, Not Risk.

The research highlights potential negative effects of pesticides but does not assess real-world risk. This is a critical distinction in toxicology.

Risk = Hazard × Exposure. 2/

People hear “pesticide” and think:

→ Toxic.
→ Unnatural.
→ Dangerous.

But here’s the truth:
Pesticides are not evil.

They are essential for food security, sustainability, and preventing famine.

Here’s why they have a bad image - but shouldn’t 🧵: 1/ 1. The Word “Pesticide” Sounds Scary.

🚨 The media loves to use "chemicals" and "toxins" to scare people.

🚨Meanwhile, they ignore one simple fact: Even organic farmers use pesticides.

🚨In fact, some natural pesticides are more toxic than synthetic ones. 2/

One of the biggest myths in agriculture?
“We should farm like nature.”

It sounds nice - but it’s completely unscientific.

Modern farming isn’t about mimicking nature.
It’s about improving on it.

Here’s why the “mimic nature” strategy fails 🧵: 1/12 1. Nature is not optimized for feeding people

🚨 Wild plants don’t produce enough food.
🚨 Natural soils aren’t nutrient-balanced.
🚨 Pests and diseases don’t stop because we “respect ecosystems.”

If we farmed exactly like nature, we’d be starving. 2/12

Bad policies destroy nations.

In 2021, Sri Lanka banned synthetic fertilizers and pesticides overnight - forcing the country into 100% organic farming.

The result? Economic collapse, food shortages, and mass protests.

Here’s what happened 🧵: 1/12 The government banned chemical fertilizers and pesticides to become the first fully organic nation.

They promised:

✅ Healthier food.
✅ Environmental benefits.
✅ Self-sufficient agriculture. 2/12

The biggest paradoxes of modern environmentalism?

🚨 They demand solutions for climate change and food security.

🚨 But they reject the best technologies to solve those problems.

From GMOs to nuclear energy, ideology keeps blocking progress.
Here’s why it’s a problem 🧵: 1/ 1. The war on nuclear energy.

Environmentalists claim they want low-carbon energy.

Yet, they oppose nuclear.
The most reliable, scalable clean energy source.

❌ “Too dangerous.”
(Despite being safer than coal/oil/gas).

❌ “Too expensive.”
(Ignoring wind/solar subsidies). 2/

One of the most dangerous things in history?
When politics replaces science.

That’s exactly what happened in the Soviet Union under Trofim Lysenko.

A man whose pseudoscience led to famine, ruined careers, and millions of deaths.

His ideology destroyed Soviet agriculture 🧵: 1. Who was Trofim Lysenko?

🚜 A Soviet agronomist who rejected genetics and evolutionary biology.

🚨 He claimed crops could be “trained” to grow better - without needing selective breeding or genetics.

📢 Stalin loved it.

The problem? Lysenko was completely wrong.

The loudest voices often know the least.

It’s called the Dunning-Kruger Effect - and once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

Here’s why it explains everything from anti-vaxxers to flat-earthers 🧵: 1/ In 1999, psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger made a hilarious but disturbing discovery:

People who know the least often overestimate their competence—while true experts doubt themselves.

In short:
❌ Ignorance breeds confidence.
✅ Knowledge breeds humility.
2/

I’ve seen my share of anti-science activists.

But few are as dangerous as Vandana Shiva.

She brands herself as a "food sovereignty" advocate.

In reality? She’s an activist spreading misinformation about GMOs, pesticides, and modern agriculture.

Here’s the real story 🧵: 1/ She’s an Indian activist who claims:

❌ GMOs are killing farmers.
❌ Big corporations control our food.
❌ Pesticides are poisoning the world.

It sounds noble - until you realize she ignores science, distorts facts, and blocks real solutions to hunger and poverty. 2/

I care about the environment.

Do you know one of the biggest obstacles to real progress?

Greenpeace.

What started as an activist group fighting pollution and whaling has turned into an anti-science, anti-innovation machine.

Here’s how Greenpeace lost its way 🧵: 1/12 Greenpeace was once a force for good.

In the 70s and 80s, they:

• Fought against nuclear weapons testing.
• Helped raise awareness about industrial pollution.
• Played a role in protecting whales and rainforests.

Greenpeace was fighting for real environmental issues. 2/12

One of the biggest myths about "Organic" food is that it’s more nutritious than conventional food.

Here’s the truth: it’s not.

Let’s break down the science behind this common misconception 🧵: 1/11 First, what does “organic” mean?

Organic food is grown without synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or GMOs.

But what it doesn’t mean is “healthier.”

Nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants don’t depend on whether a crop is organic or not. 2/11

The GMO that could have saved millions of lives.
🌾Golden Rice.

It’s a genetically engineered crop designed to fight vitamin A deficiency.

A condition that blinds and kills millions every year.

Here’s the story of Golden Rice and why it matters🧵: Let’s start with the problem:

Vitamin A deficiency affects:
• 190 million children worldwide.
• Over 500,000 children go blind every year.
• Half of them die within a year of losing their sight.

It’s preventable—but only if people have access to enough vitamin A.

Europe has romanticized organic farming to the point of harm.

We promote it as the gold standard, but the truth is, organic farming is less efficient, more resource-intensive, and not as “green” as we think.

Here’s the story of Europe’s organic farming myth 🧵: 1/ Let’s start with the facts:

Organic farming avoids synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.

That sounds great, right?
But here’s what it really means:

• Lower yields per hectare.
• Higher prices for consumers.
• More land needed to produce the same amount of food.
2/

Europe made a colossal mistake:

They banned genetically modified organisms (GMOs) while the rest of the world embraced them.

Now we rely on imports, pay more for food, and miss out on sustainable agriculture.

Here’s the story of Europe’s GMO debacle 🧵: First, let’s start with the facts:

Europe has some of the most advanced research in plant science and agriculture.

Yet, nearly all GMO cultivation is banned.

Why? Because of fear - not science.

1/ We love talking about “natural” food, but here’s the truth:

Almost everything we eat has been modified by humans.

From Apples to Zucchini, our ancestors transformed wild plants into the crops we rely on today.

Here’s the story of how humans shaped our food 🧵: 2/ Let’s start with the facts:

Corn?
It started as a wild grass called teosinte.

I’m a scientist.

But even among scientists, few can claim what Norman Borlaug did:

He’s credited with saving a billion people from starvation.

How? By changing the way we grow food forever.

Here’s the story of the man
behind the Green Revolution 🧵: 1/ Let’s start with the problem he faced:

In the mid-20th century, global hunger was a ticking time bomb:

• Populations were booming.
• Food production couldn’t keep up.
• Famine threatened millions in developing countries like India and Mexico.

The world needed a miracle. 2/

Almost everything you eat has been modified genetically by humans.

Here's how:
1/ Cross Breeding.

By crossing two different types of plants, such as white and red dragon fruit, breeders create a new variety, like the pink dragon fruit, which combines traits from both parent plants. 2/

No matter what farming method:

→ Agroecological,
→ Conventional.
→ Regenerative.
→ Organic.
→ No-till.

↳ Clearing land for crops destroys biodiversity.

The real issue is stopping more land from being converted and here is why...
🧵1/ Some narratives dominate cultures, often shaped by shared values, or decades of marketing. Marketing-driven narratives warrant scrutiny as they serve industries, not society.

For example, the "natural is good, chemicals are bad" distorts reality. 2/

This is what they don’t want you to know:

Pesticides aren’t the main cause of insect decline.

A 33-year study in Western Germany reveals habitat loss, land-use changes, and urbanization are bigger drivers, challenging the oversimplified blame on pesticides. 1/ Insect Decline - Evaluation of Potential Drivers of a Complex Phenomenon.

The true drivers of insect decline are far more complex and deeply tied to how we manage land and shape our environment.

Let's take a deep dive into the publication. 2/

mdpi.com/2075-4450/15/1…

I'm French.

28 years ago, the EU faced a choice:

🚀 Embrace innovation.
❌ Surrender to fear and ignorance.

Europe chose fear and the consequences have been devastating.

Here’s the brutal truth behind Europe’s agricultural self-destruction 🧵: GMOs are crops whose DNA has been modified to achieve specific benefits, such as resistance to pests, drought tolerance, or improved nutritional content.

These technologies reduce the need for pesticides and improve yields, benefiting both farmers and consumers.

Lots of talk about Bovaer.
Chemist speaking here.
Time for some facts.

Bovaer, also known as 3-nitrooxypropanol, is a small organic molecule with a nitrooxy group attached to a propane backbone. Its structure is simple yet powerful in targeting methane emissions in livestock. When added to cattle feed, Bovaer inhibits an enzyme in the gut microbes responsible for methane production. This stops the conversion of hydrogen and CO₂ into methane, reducing emissions at the source.