(Beyond Pesticides, July 9, 2026) In a study published in PLOS One, researchers identify “ecological cascades triggered by intensive, calendar-based pesticide applications,” resulting in “agricultural pesticide regimes [that] fundamentally restructure insect foraging networks through complex, poorly understood community-level pathways.” In comparing chemical-intensive apple orchards with adjacent pesticide-free cemeteries, this study documents the impacts on insect biodiversity with exposure to pesticides, noting that in areas without pesticide applications insect abundance and richness is higher and plant-pollinator networks are stronger. When applying pesticides during peak insect activity, apple orchards create ecological traps and insect pollinator foraging network disruption with cascading effects through the ecosystem that extend beyond acute toxicity. As the authors explain: “The resulting exposure drives sublethal behavioural changes, forcing insects into narrower dietary niches and collapsing the complex web of plant-pollinator interactions. The final outcome is a functionally homogenized insect community, stripped of its diversity and resilience.” To sustain ecological integrity and insect biodiversity, as well as the subsequent ecosystem services they provide, such as pollination, pesticide-free habitats are essential. This study adds to the wide body of science that supports the urgent need for a widescale transition to organic agriculture and land management. Study Importance and Background Nontarget and […]

(Beyond Pesticides, June 25, 2026) In a study comparing pesticide active ingredients (isolated single chemicals) with full pesticide product formulations containing added ingredients (the packaged products that can contain carriers, sticking agents, emulsifiers, etc.), researchers find the full formulation to be generally more toxic. The research evaluates acute and chronic exposures of four mosquito adulticide active ingredients (AIs), three product formulations, and one biological larvicide pesticide formulation containing Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) on honey bee larvae in vitro and finds that three of the four exceed levels of concern (LOCs) set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA publishes Guidance for Assessing Pesticide Risks to Bees in which it identifies levels of harm. The scientists who conducted the study, published in Environmental Challenges, are based at the University of Florida and Auburn University. This study references Bti (Vectobac12AS) as the least toxic product, since the acute LD50 (lethal dose that kills 50% of the test population) is well below EPA-set LOCs. However, the study only focused on whether Bti harms honey bees. In contrast, there are some indications of its potential adverse effects on other beneficial insects, moths, and butterflies (see fact sheet here) and aquatic life, including studies […]

(Beyond Pesticides, June 24, 2026) Yesterday, Senator Boozman (R-AK), chair of the Senate Agriculture, Forestry, and Nutrition Committee, released the Senate GOP Farm Bill, the Agricultural Act of 2026, with provisions that undermine public and environmental health, according to farm, farmworker, and environmental advocates. Rather than investing sufficiently in organic agriculture and supporting farmers’ transition to nontoxic practices—in response to health, biodiversity, and climate crises, as well as the high cost of synthetic fertilizers—the bill reduces oversight of organic production by loosening inspection and certification requirements. “The bill, drafted without input from Senate Democrats, redefines underlying statutory standards, increasing dependency on petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture at a time when we urgently need to shift to sustainable and cost-effective agricultural and land management practices,” said Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides, a national public interest group representing farmers, consumers, and environmentalists. “We are facing health and environmental crises, demanding leadership—not exhibited in this Republican Farm Bill—that ensures a livable future,” Mr. Feldman said. The text is largely the same as the version passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in April, the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567). The House vote made history when 73 […]

Image: Art of Life Page submission from Jesse Yow, “Honeybee Pollinating Citrus Blossom.” (Beyond Pesticides, June 22, 2026) National Pollinator Week, June 22-26, 2026, celebrates all pollinators and the ecosystem services they provide. With a theme of “Life on a Leaf… From Bloom to Buzz! An Organic Solution for Plants and Pollinators” and in recognition of the importance of pollinators and biodiversity to a healthy environment and healthy people, Beyond Pesticides announces a week of activities and actions!  Pollinators—bees, butterflies, birds, bats, and other organisms—make a critical contribution to plant health, crop productivity, and the preservation of natural resources, but their existence is threatened by pesticide-contaminated habitats! Throughout the week, we will suggest actions that you can take to promote the health of pollinators.   The first step is providing a safe place for pollinators to live, eat, reproduce, and take refuge from predators and adverse weather, which can include establishing pollinator-friendly plants as both habitats and food sources.  Monday—Juneteenth and Environmental Justice  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously stated, “All life is interrelated.” Justice for all people converges with the protection of biodiversity, health, and climate. If we are not protecting the most vulnerable in society, we ultimately adversely affect the entire society because all people are intricately linked through the web of life. By […]

(Beyond Pesticides, June 17, 2026) A study out of Michigan State University reviews robust county-level data on pesticide use and breast cancer incidence rates, determining that there are “modest positive associations” in rural counties in the United States. The findings were published in Cancer Causes & Control. Public health and environmental advocates cite the proliferation of published, peer-reviewed research, like this new study, in support of a societal imperative to eliminate harmful agrichemicals and transition to organic practices. The U.S. and countries worldwide have standards for certified organic production, similar to the U.S. Organic Foods Production Act, that establish required practices, a national list of allowed and prohibited substances, public oversight and a stakeholder board with authority over allowed inputs, certification and inspection of on-farm practices, and an enforcement system to ensure standards compliance. There is limited federal investment in growing the organic sector, despite its productivity, profitability, and protection of healthy ecosystems. The study adds to the body of science that illustrates dramatic deficiencies in the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) under which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal statutes fall short in addressing the complex exposure patterns and adverse human and environmental effects, […]

(Beyond Pesticides, June 12, 2026) In a literature review published in Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences, researchers assessed 27 peer-reviewed studies conducted between 2011 and 2025 on the adverse impacts of insecticides, including neonicotinoids, pyrethroids, organophosphates, chlorpyrifos, and fipronil. Across agricultural and suburban environments, pesticides were detected in the majority (88 percent) of samples. This review builds on the continuous flow of science that highlights the adverse impacts of synthetic pesticide dependency on ecosystems and wildlife that are essential to global biodiversity. Main Findings The researchers, based at a variety of research institutions in Jordan, Uzbekistan, Iraq, and India, refined their search to 27 studies after screening for geographic diversity and empirical robustness; for example, they excluded studies that did not include empirical data, relied solely on nonagricultural contexts, or only assessed exposure through urban wastewater exclusively. Toxicological data assessed include pesticide occurrence, toxicity, and biological responses. This literature review is not a meta-analysis, but rather a narrative synthesis of various findings. The main findings include: Documented Widespread Pesticide Occurrence. In the United States, based on data collected between 2013 and 2017, 88 percent of water samples contained pesticides, with a median of 18 compounds across all sites and 24 […]

(Beyond Pesticides, June 11, 2026) A study of honey bee colonies in Florida and California, published in Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, finds elevated mortality from pesticide residues, including those that have been documented to threaten pollinators. As the authors describe, “While bees die from multiple, often interacting, stressors, here we show single contributors at levels capable of causing acute harm.” The presence of miticides, fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides within the bee colonies, including in the bodies of dying bees, further highlights pesticides as drivers of bee declines. By sampling both dying bees and in-house bees for chemical residues, the researchers are able to compare symptomatic colonies and control colonies. The authors note, “Our findings differ from previous screenings, which cast a broad net, screening agrochemicals in colonies nationwide, and not necessarily from impacted operations.” This study, however, shows the presence of specific pesticide residues in commercially managed colonies after die-off incidences. The neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid, in particular, is widely detected and found in high levels, with the researchers identifying the compound as the largest contributor to bee death. Background Scientific literature linking pesticides, including neonicotinoids, to adverse impacts on pollinators continues to mount, as do the devasting population declines of […]

(Beyond Pesticides, May 29, 2026) In a new study published in Environmental Pollution, researchers detected 15 currently used pesticides (CUPs)—including 10 pesticide compounds detected but not applied within the study’s managed fields— in the pollen of beehives in an environment meant to reflect a typical honey bee foraging range. The detection of pesticides that were not directly applied within the study’s target radius demonstrates the pervasiveness of pesticide drift into soils, streams, and bodies. In this context, public health and environmental advocates continue to call for a wholesale transition to organic land management. The findings are particularly concerning given the toxicity hazards to honey bees associated with pesticide exposure in this study and bolstered by other studies, resulting in documented threats to their health—as reviewed in this Daily News below. Methodology and Background Researchers at the University of Bern and Agroscope, the Swiss government’s agricultural research arm, conducted this research with agricultural land-use data for 2023 and 2024 from the Zurich (provincial/Canton) government. The study area was defined as a 2-kilometer radius around the hive placement site, with 4 active hives over the course of a two-year period (April 10, 2023, through May 3, 2024). The land use within the […]

(Beyond Pesticides, May 20, 2026) A study of two pollinator species, honey bees (Apis mellifera) and small carpenter bees (Ceratina calcarata), finds oxidative stress (OX)— an imbalance between antioxidant defenses and excess reactive oxygen molecules (species), or ROS—resulting from exposure to non-living (abiotic) stressors, such as synthetic chemicals, leading to cell damage. Regulatory bodies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), do not routinely evaluate oxidative stress as a standalone or required endpoint in standard pesticide registration protocols. In comparing pollinator responses to different pesticides and pest control management practices, the lowest levels of OX are exhibited in organically managed systems, as described in the research published in Physiological Entomology. Quantifying the oxidative stress levels in bees and their larval stages from three landscapes (conventional, organic, and roadside) shows that minimum exposure to agrochemicals and high traffic-related pollutants results in the lowest levels of OX. “Overall, these findings show that variation in pesticide residue profiles across landscapes is associated with different OX responses in bees,” the authors state. “Given the essential ecosystem services provided by bees, our findings underscore the urgent need for landscape-level strategies to reduce pollinator exposure to chemical stressors.” Background Oxidative stress occurs when there is a […]

(Beyond Pesticides, May 6, 2026) Adding to the wide body of science highlighting the adverse effects of pesticides on pollinators, as extensively documented in Daily News and What the Science Shows on Biodiversity, a study published in Insects finds threats to Italian honey bees (Apis mellifera ligustica) following exposure to insecticides with contrasting toxicity levels. Both the high toxicity and low toxicity compounds impact honey bee gut bacteria and gut microbial composition, showing how even “reduced risk” insecticides can have sublethal effects and jeopardize pollinator health. As the authors point out, “Honey bees depend on a small but highly specialized community of gut bacteria that help them digest food, resist infections, and cope with environmental stress.” Because of this, chemicals that disrupt the honey bee gut microbiome can threaten their survival. In the current study, the researchers analyze two compounds to determine adverse impacts on honey bees’ gut microbiota: emamectin benzoate-lufenuron (EB-LFR), an avermectin insecticide with high toxicity, and RH-5849 (1,2-dibenzoyl-1-tert-butylhydrazine), a non-steroidal ecdysone agonist (mimicking the action of the insect molting hormone) and insect growth regulator with reported lower toxicity. The results reveal that both toxicity levels can harm gut microbial composition, with EB-LFR “associated with observed reductions in […]

(Beyond Pesticides, April 16, 2026) A study of organic tomato agroecosystems with managed and wild bees, published in Apidologie, affirms the importance of protecting natural systems to support organisms that contribute to crop productivity. The study finds that the strategy of introducing social bees, even those native to other nearby areas, to enhance pollination in open-field conditions provides no direct benefits to the crops that are better served by wild bees. In evaluating the addition of Melipona quadrifasciata stingless bees, not native to the study site, for assisted pollination of tomato plants cultivated in open organic fields, the researchers note that “the presence of M. quadrifasciata hives did not influence fruit quality, indicating that wild bees primarily drove pollination benefits.” This research, in assessing both wild and managed bees in organic tomato agroecosystems, supports previous scientific literature showing that promoting naturally occurring pollinators is the most sustainable and cost-effective strategy for ensuring pollination services. “This finding underscores the importance of conserving and promoting wild pollinator diversity in organic agroecosystems, as they play a critical role in sustaining pollination services,” the researchers affirm. They also say, “By offering a diverse range of floral shapes, colours, traits, and sizes, non-crop plants support […]

(Beyond Pesticides, March 18, 2026) Researchers in Germany and Brazil investigated the biodiversity of agricultural landscapes in organic and non-organic areas in “bee hotels,” finding that there is a positive correlation between organically managed fields and numerous indicators of improved pollinator health, including an “increase in bee abundance, species richness, and diversity.” This study, published in Global Ecology and Conservation, builds on the breadth of existing research in recent years that underscores the adverse public health and biodiversity effects associated with a food system that is drenched in synthetic chemicals, as well as additional evidence of the ecological and economic benefits of organic agriculture. Methodology and Results Research for this study “was conducted at 17 sites in the southern part of Germany, Baden-Württemberg, including eight conventional and nine organic farming systems.” Researchers for this study are based at the Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics at Ulm University in Germany and the Laboratory for Bee Studies at the Federal University of Maranhão in São Luís, Maranhão in Brazil. The authors signed a “declaration of competing interest,” stipulating that “that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in […]

(Beyond Pesticides, January 29, 2026) A study of ecotoxicity risk from neonicotinoid insecticides, published in Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, finds that chemicals in this class of pesticides, particularly dinotefuron, increase the body temperature of Apis mellifera (European honey bee) and subsequently accelerate the translocation (movement) of contaminants into hives by the honey bees. The research indicates that neonicotinoids affect acetylcholine receptors in the nervous system, leading to an “elevation in octopamine titer [neurotransmitter/hormone] and subsequent increase in the body temperature of honeybees,” the authors report. They continue: “Furthermore, we observed a considerable upregulation [of] the expression of a flight gene flightin in honeybees. This gene accelerates the homing behavior of honeybees and facilitates the rapid and frequent transport of neonicotinoid pesticide-contaminated nectar to the hive.” In describing their results, the researchers state: “For the first time, we propose that neonicotinoid pesticides accelerate the homing ability of honeybees by affecting their body temperature, which leads to more neonicotinoid pesticides entering the hive and explains the prevalence of neonicotinoids and at higher concentrations in terms of their effects on the honeybee body temperature that enhances homing.” This accelerated movement of neonicotinoid pesticides into honey bee hives heightens the toxicity risks to honey […]

(Beyond Pesticides, January 28, 2026) A study published last year in Science of The Total Environment reports widespread pesticide contamination collected from beehive monitoring across the European Union (EU). “This study has produced the first EU-wide distribution map of terrestrial pesticide contamination and demonstrates widespread pesticide contamination of EU environments,” the authors write. The study, led by a cohort of citizen-scientists, documents pesticide drift across the European continent. The results found that 188 of the 429 targeted pesticide compounds were detected in noninvasive, in-hive passive samplers (APIStrips) across 27 EU countries between May and August of 2023. This finding emerges at a time when public health and environmental advocates raise concerns about the European Union’s backtracking on commitments to reduce pesticide use by 2030, although the European Commission announced in July 2025 that “the use and risk of chemical pesticides has decreased by 58% by 2023 [from the 2015-2017 reference period], while the use of more hazardous pesticides fell by 27% over the same period.” Results The study results reveal that no landscape is safe from pesticide exposure, despite the European Union having better regulations in place than most other countries/regions. The researchers found: “There was no sample site where […]

(Beyond Pesticides, January 22, 2026) Published in Environmental Research, a review of experimental studies by George Mason University researchers regarding reproductive toxicity of neonicotinoid pesticides (neonics) in rodents finds that all studies “demonstrated negative impacts on male reproductive endpoints in association with neonic exposure, including reduced sperm count, reduced sperm motility, and altered sperm morphology.” These studies highlight how neonics, designed to target insect nervous systems, can affect mammalian systems, representing risks to human health. Criteria for inclusion in the review was restricted to endocrine and/or reproductive outcomes in male rats and mice, leading the authors to analyze 21 studies published between 2005 and 2025. “This narrative review employed a systematic approach and determined that neonics exhibit reproductive toxicity in male rats and mice, particularly impairing testicular function and sperm quality at high exposure levels,” the researchers report. They continue, “Despite species-specific differences, the conserved nature [core mechanism] of reproductive processes across mammals supports the relevance of these findings to human health.” Study Background Neonicotinoids are a class of insecticides that share a common mode of action that affects the central nervous system of insects, resulting in paralysis and death. There is a wide body of science on the effects […]

(Beyond Pesticides, December 19, 2025) While still the exception rather than the norm, a growing movement of Christmas tree farmers across the United States is demonstrating that organically managed systems can also be applied when choosing a tree during this holiday season. Health and environmental advocates across the country are calling for a transition away from toxic pesticide dependency during the holiday season. Beyond Pesticides maintains a webpage, Christmas Trees and Pesticides, and Center for Biological Diversity and Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a “special review of pesticides used on Christmas trees.” The groups sent a letter on December 4, the day the National Christmas Tree was lit at the White House, specifically citing the need to review the pesticides chlorpyrifos, carbaryl, dimethoate, bifenthrin, chlorothalonil, glyphosate, hexazinone, imidacloprid, simazine, and 2,4-D, among others. Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays in the United States, with Christmas trees grown on Christmas tree farms being brought into homes as part of the celebration. On average, Americans purchase 25 to 30 million Christmas trees annually, according to the National Christmas Tree Association; however, certified organic […]

(Beyond Pesticides, November 20, 2025) Recent scientific literature finds heightened toxicity associated with pesticide metabolites, the transformation/breakdown products of the parent compounds, that threaten the health of the soil, wildlife, and humans. This research stresses the importance of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) evaluating metabolites, which is currently insufficiently included in regulatory processes. In a literature review in Global Change Biology, the researchers point out multiple areas in which regulations fail to address key criteria, including metabolites, saying: “Pesticide risk assessments currently rely on surrogate species and focus primarily on acute lethality metrics, failing to capture the broader impacts on non-target organisms and thus biodiversity. Under the directives of regulatory agencies worldwide, this traditional approach overlooks the complex interactions between multiple stressors, including climate change, land-use shifts, and pesticide transformation products. Pesticide risk assessments must therefore undergo a paradigm shift to account for these complex interactions, which disproportionately affect insect pollinators, other non-target species, and biodiversity at large.” A metabolite is a breakdown product that forms when a pesticide is used in the environment and mixes with air, water, soil, or living organisms. All metabolites fall under the category of transformation products, which is the broader term for any […]

(Beyond Pesticides, November 19, 2025) In the book, Biological Control Systems and Climate Change, published this month, Danilo Russo, PhD—a speaker during the first session of our 42nd National Forum, The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature—and other researchers add to the existing literature on the climate change threat to ecosystem services. Dr. Russo’s chapter, entitled “Impact of Climate Change on Bats Involved in Biological Control,” explains one of the lost benefits of ecological balance attributable to the climate crisis. As explained in the book: “In conservation biological control, habitats surrounding and within crops are managed to favour an increase in natural enemy populations while suppressing pest populations. These agroecological systems can be complex, and are affected by climate change.” The ability of climate change to influence the effectiveness of biological control systems is explored, showing the “effects on the large diversity of macro- and microorganisms involved in biocontrol, and the possible increase or decrease in pest outbreaks following changes in characteristics (morphology, physiology, behaviour….), distribution or phenology.” Dr. Russo is a full professor of ecology at the University of Naples Federico II, an international leader in bat research, and coauthor of A Natural History […]

(Beyond Pesticides, October 29, 2025) The latest research on bats and beavers, ecosystem services, and biodiversity adds to a wide body of science on the importance of a balanced ecosystem. In both the Bulletin of the National Research Centre and Journal of Animal Ecology, the researchers highlight the interconnectedness not only between wildlife species but to broader ecosystem functioning and human health implications. Researchers in the Journal article add to the growing body of science connecting an abundance of bat species in areas with established beaver dams, highlighting how interconnected wildlife is. The reporting on this recent research coincides with Beyond Pesticides’ 42nd National Forum, The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature, scheduled for today, October 29. As the author of the article in the Bulletin of the National Research Centre, entitled “The complex web between environmental disruption, pesticide use, and human health: lessons from the bat crisis,” states: “The close relationship between environmental balance, biodiversity, and human health has long been a concern of science and public policy. Disruptions in ecosystems often trigger cascading effects that extend far beyond the original ecological imbalance, affecting agricultural practices, food security, and public health.” Bat Declines and […]

(Beyond Pesticides, October 9, 2025) The 42nd National Forum Series, The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature—scheduled to begin on October 29, 2025, 1:00-3:30pm (Eastern time, US), will focus on aligning land management with nature in response to current chemical-intensive practices that pose a threat to health (see Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database), biodiversity, and climate. The virtual Forum is free to all participants. ➡️ Register here. The Call to the Forum, states: We are all affected by how land is managed, food is grown, and nature is protected. Different experiences and perspectives may bring us to care about health and the environment and the devastating adverse effects of pesticides and toxic substances. However, ensuring a livable future requires us to cultivate a collective concern about daily decisions on the management of our personal and community spaces, the practices used to grow the food we buy, and the care that we as a society give to complex and fragile interrelationships that sustain the natural world on which we depend.   The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health: Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature challenges participants—as concerned families, community residents, purchasers of products, advocates for policy, decision makers, and workers—to think […]

(Beyond Pesticides, October 8, 2025) A study, Pesticides detected in two urban areas have implications for local butterfly conservation, published in partnership with researchers at Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, University of Binghamton (New York), and University of Nevada, reports widespread pesticide residues in the host plants of butterflies located in green spaces in the cities of Sacramento, California, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Just 22 of the hundreds of collected samples had no detectable residues, with all other samples containing some combination of 47 compounds of the 94 tested pesticides in the plant tissue. Of the 47 compounds, 4 are neonicotinoid insecticides linked to adverse effects for bee and pollinator populations based on previous peer-reviewed research. The fungicide azoxystrobin and the insecticide chlorantraniliprole were detected at lethal/sublethal concentrations, according to the report authors. “Residential landscapes have high conservation potential for butterflies and other invertebrates,” says Aaron Anderson, co-lead author of the report and pesticide program specialist at Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. He continues: “But, these findings show how pervasive pesticide contamination can be in towns and cities, and underscore that protecting wildlife in these areas includes addressing pesticides.” The report’s results underscore the pervasiveness of pesticide drift and dispel the myth […]

(Beyond Pesticides, September 24, 2025) A novel study of chronic toxicity of the neonicotinoid insecticide thiamethoxam to honey bees (Apis mellifera), published in Insects, finds sublethal effects that threaten the survival of bee larvae and the health of bee colonies. “We evaluated the effects of thiamethoxam on the entire larval development cycle of reproductive bees and conducted a comparative analysis, demonstrating that thiamethoxam significantly alters ecdysone [a hormone that controls molting in insects] and juvenile hormone titers [hormones for insect growth] in both queen and drone larvae, impairing metamorphosis and reproductive development,” the authors state. Risk assessments and scientific literature focus primarily on honey bee workers, rarely including how pesticides can impact queen and drone bees that are necessary for stable colonies. In focusing on this data gap, the researchers reveal that the survival rate of bee larvae decreases gradually with increasing doses of thiamethoxam, adding to the wide body of science on pesticide-related threats to honey bee health. (See Beyond Pesticides’ What the Science Shows on Biodiversity page for more information, as well as Daily News coverage on risk assessments here, here, and here.) Honey bees provide crucial ecosystem services as pollinating insects and play a vital role in […]

(Beyond Pesticides, September 11, 2025) A study published in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment finds organic rice paddies in the Mediterranean region have greater ecosystem biodiversity, including increased presence of aquatic microorganisms and insects, than their chemical-intensive counterparts. While not a “cradle-to-grave” or holistic analysis of organic vs. chemical-intensive agriculture (see a similar example in previous Daily News here), the authors note that there is an increase in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe) associated with compost use, which replaces synthetic fertilizers. Typically, compost builds biological life in the soil and contributes to a drawing down (or sequestering) of atmospheric carbon. As EPA notes, “[C]omposting lowers greenhouse gases by improving carbon sequestration in the soil and by preventing methane emissions through aerobic decomposition, as methane-producing microbes are not active in the presence of oxygen.” The transition to organically produced rice in the U.S. has come with challenges. One includes thorny debates over the inclusion of copper sulfate on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, which establishes materials permitted for use in certified organic production under the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA). Under the law, USDA restricts copper sulfate in organic farming as follows: “For use as tadpole shrimp control in aquatic […]