Buffer zones are designed to protect whom or what?

• A. The pesticide company’s profits
• B. Only the target crop
• C. People and the environment
• D. The field equipment

Answer: (C)

Buffer zones are safety margins around where pesticides are applied to reduce exposure to people and the environment. They help limit drift, runoff, and unintended contact with non-target areas, protecting nearby residents, workers, water bodies, wildlife, and beneficial organisms. That broad protection is why this option is the best answer—it acknowledges both human health and ecological safeguards that regulate pesticide use. The other choices miss the real purpose: profits aren’t about safety, focusing only on the crop ignores nearby people and habitats, and protecting field equipment isn’t the goal of a buffer zone.