Outreach in Biotechnology

a chemical compound or substance produced by a living organism found in nature that usually has a pharmacological or biological activity. A natural product can be considered as such even if it is prepared by chemical synthesis (although not under USDA organic guidelines). Natural pesticides are not universally better for us or for the environment (e.g. the copper-based fungicides used in organic agriculture are actually 10 times as toxic as modern synthetic fungicides). A focus on natural or synthetic is not optimal for safety or sustainability; it would be better to evaluate compounds individually for risk.