29
Aug
On Labor Day, Group Calls on Communities To Protect Workers from Pesticides by Going Organic
(Beyond Pesticides, August 29 – September 3, 2025) It is recognized, especially on Labor Day, that the adverse effects of pesticides, with the preponderance of science accumulating every day, put workers (those who handle pesticides and are exposed through inhalation and skin absorption) at elevated risk above rates in the general population. The harm to workers is exacerbated by additional and cumulative exposure to pesticides that occurs through daily life—residues in food, water, and landscapes. Beyond Pesticides is reaching out to its network and urging people and organizations to: On Labor Day, ask your Mayor to lead a transition to practices and product procurement that protect workers with criteria that meet organic standards in landscaping and food purchasing.
With the dismantling of federal government programs charged with establishing protections and ramping up deregulation of the chemical, agribusiness, and allied industries, safety strategies for workers who are the backbone of our society fall to local governments and people whose decisions should not result in hazardous worker exposure to toxic pesticides. Municipality and school district purchasing of food grown with toxic chemicals results in poisoning of farmworkers, their children, and their communities. Purchasing and applying toxic lawn care products or contract services results in hazardous exposure for landscapers. Since there are alternatives compatible with organic standards that can and do replace toxic products, the transition can happen immediately.
By transitioning to organic product purchasing and land management and away from petrochemical materials, this effort to protect workers aligns with broader goals to protect public health and biodiversity, and mitigate the climate crisis.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), “A variety of occupations such as agricultural workers, groundskeepers, pet groomers, and fumigators are at risk for exposure to pesticides, including fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides, fumigants, and sanitizers.” Tracking and documenting pesticide exposure cases of farmworkers is now being severely curtailed, through cuts to the Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risks (SENSOR) pesticide surveillance program—the only national program tracking pesticide-related illnesses and death. Beyond Pesticides reported in June that cuts to NIOSH have led to concern in the farming community. NIOSH established and has funded Centers for Agricultural Safety and Health, which have provided resources for on-farm studies and training since 1990, and will lose federal funding this fall. In addition to researching long-term safety and health issues, the NIOSH-funded centers provide assistance directly to farmers in their region. With the highest fatal injury rate among workers—with 18.6 deaths per 100,000 workers in 2022 compared to 3.7 deaths per 100,000 workers across all industries—these cuts put agricultural workers at disproportionate risk.
The data on pesticide hazards to workers and their families is extensive. Earlier this year, it was reported that DNA damage is significantly higher in Latinx children from rural, farmworker families than in children from urban, non-farmworker families, according to French and American researchers publishing in Exposure and Health. Not only do farmworker children test positive for organophosphate pesticides more frequently than non-farmworker children, but the study finds that farmworker children also experience an increased frequency of DNA damage associated with the presence of organophosphate exposure. Advocates note that as long as pesticides remain in use, farmworkers and their families will continue to shoulder a disproportionate share of the toxic effects of these chemicals; another in a long line of reasons to shift away from toxic synthetic pesticide use to the adoption of proven organic regenerative agricultural practices. See here, here, and here.
Pesticide exposure for landscapers results in a range of health threats. Beyond Pesticides’ Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database identifies over 2,100 studies that link pesticide exposure to cancer, reproductive dysfunction, Parkinson’s disease, birth defects, asthma, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. Of the 40 most commonly used lawn and landscape pesticides, in reference to adverse health effects, 26 are possible and/or known carcinogens, 24 have the potential to disrupt the endocrine (hormonal) system, 29 are linked to reproductive effects and sexual dysfunction, 21 have been linked to birth defects, 24 are neurotoxic, 32 can cause kidney or liver damage, and 33 are sensitizers and/or irritants.
In transitioning to organic and protecting farmworkers and landscapers from pesticides used in food production and land management, respectively, communities and people are eliminating the use of petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers associated with endocrine disruption (see a talk by Dr. Tracey Woodruff here) and rising rates of a vast number of related illnesses.
The public can reach out to local decision makers, elected officials, and transition community parks, playing fields, and open spaces to organic land management with the assistance of Beyond Pesticides’ Parks for a Sustainable Future program. Last week, as a part of a nationwide push to stop the use of petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers, the City of Excelsior, Minnesota, Beyond Pesticides joined dozens of communities across the country to begin a pilot to transition its city park land sites to organic land management.
Letter to Mayors:
On Labor Day, I’m writing to ask you to lead a transition to practices and product procurement that protect workers with criteria that meet organic standards in landscaping and food purchasing.
It is recognized, especially on Labor Day, that the adverse effects of pesticides, with the preponderance of science accumulating every day, put workers (those who handle pesticides and are exposed through inhalation and skin absorption) at elevated risk above rates in the general population. The harm to workers is exacerbated by additional and cumulative exposure to pesticides that occurs through daily life—residues in food, water, and landscapes.
With the dismantling of federal government programs charged with establishing protections and ramping up deregulation of the chemical, agribusiness, and allied industries, safety strategies for workers who are the backbone of our society fall to local governments and people whose decisions should not result in hazardous worker exposure to toxic pesticides. Municipality and school district purchasing of food grown with toxic chemicals results in poisoning of farmworkers, their children, and their communities. Purchasing and applying toxic lawn care products or contract services results in hazardous exposure for landscapers. Since there are alternatives compatible with organic standards that can and do replace toxic products, the transition can happen immediately.
By transitioning to organic product purchasing and land management and away from petrochemical materials, this effort to protect workers aligns with broader goals to protect public health and biodiversity, and mitigate the climate crisis.
The data on pesticide hazards to workers and their families is extensive. Beyond Pesticides earlier this year reported that DNA damage is significantly higher in Latinx children from rural, farmworker families than in children from urban, non-farmworker families, according to a recent study published by French and American authors in the journal Exposure and Health. Not only do farmworker children test positive for organophosphate pesticides more frequently than non-farmworker children, but the study finds that farmworker children also experience an increased frequency of DNA damage associated with the presence of organophosphate exposure. These results highlight the disparities in exposures and outcomes for children from vulnerable immigrant communities. Advocates note that as long as pesticides remain in use, farmworkers and their families will continue to shoulder a disproportionate share of the toxic effects of these chemicals; another in a long line of reasons to shift away from toxic synthetic pesticide use to the adoption of proven organic, regenerative agricultural practices.
Pesticide exposure for landscapers results in a range of health threats. Beyond Pesticides’ Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database identifies over 2,100 studies that link pesticide exposure to cancer, reproductive dysfunction, Parkinson’s disease, birth defects, asthma, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. Of the 40 most commonly used lawn and landscape pesticides, in reference to adverse health effects, 26 are possible and/or known carcinogens, 24 have the potential to disrupt the endocrine (hormonal) system, 29 are linked to reproductive effects and sexual dysfunction, 21 have been linked to birth defects, 24 are neurotoxic, 32 can cause kidney or liver damage, and 33 are sensitizers and/or irritants.
In transitioning to organic and protecting farmworkers and landscapers from pesticides used in food production and land management, respectively, we are eliminating the use of petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers associated with endocrine disruption and rising rates of a vast number of related illnesses.
Thank you for leading.
All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.
