FOUR decades ago, after Rachel Carson's historic Silent Spring warned of massive wildlife killing, the United States banned toxic pesticides such as DDT. The change in crop spraying helped save millions of wild creatures, especially migratory songbirds. After DDT was banned, many bird species began to recover.

But today, many of the worst pesticides banned by America and the European Union are widely used throughout Latin America, the Independent of Britain reports.

"Because of changed consumer habits in Europe and the United States, export-led agriculture has transformed the wintering grounds of birds [in Latin America] into intensive farming operations producing grapes, melons and bananas as well as rice for export," the paper said.

Ornithologists warn that Carson's "silent spring" may return if deadly pesticides are not banned and if consumer habits do not change. More than 40 species - including barn swallows and wood thrushes - are already starting to disappear. More problems also plague migrating songbirds that return to their nesting grounds in the United States.

"Millions of acres of wilderness the birds use as nesting grounds have been plowed under in the drive to grow corn for ethanol, for biofuel," the Independent said.

Recent research questions the value of biofuels. Environmental damages from growing more corn and processing it into ethanol are deemed worse than those from burning fossil and carbon fuels.

Today, vegetables and fruits sent from Latin America to America and the European Union are three to four times more likely to violate government standards for pesticide residues as domestically grown crops.

To save migratory birds, developed countries - and their consumers - should pressure Latin America to switch to pesticides that don't devastate animals.

But today, many of the worst pesticides banned by America and the European Union are widely used throughout Latin America, the Independent of Britain reports.

"Because of changed consumer habits in Europe and the United States, export-led agriculture has transformed the wintering grounds of birds [in Latin America] into intensive farming operations producing grapes, melons and bananas as well as rice for export," the paper said.

Ornithologists warn that Carson's "silent spring" may return if deadly pesticides are not banned and if consumer habits do not change. More than 40 species - including barn swallows and wood thrushes - are already starting to disappear. More problems also plague migrating songbirds that return to their nesting grounds in the United States.

"Millions of acres of wilderness the birds use as nesting grounds have been plowed under in the drive to grow corn for ethanol, for biofuel," the Independent said.

Recent research questions the value of biofuels. Environmental damages from growing more corn and processing it into ethanol are deemed worse than those from burning fossil and carbon fuels.

Today, vegetables and fruits sent from Latin America to America and the European Union are three to four times more likely to violate government standards for pesticide residues as domestically grown crops.

To save migratory birds, developed countries - and their consumers - should pressure Latin America to switch to pesticides that don't devastate animals.