(Beyond Pesticides, November 24, 2025) In his article on ecological traps, Professor Danilo Russo, PhD, explains the harm caused to wildlife from well-intentioned efforts to establish habitat on chemical-intensive farms or areas otherwise subject to chemical exposure. Dr. Russo et al., in “To improve or not to improve? The dilemma of “bat-friendly” farmland potentially becoming an ecological trap” (2024), write, “[W]hen restoring habitats for bats in conventional farmland, potential unintended outcomes must be considered, particularly if restoration actions are not accompanied by mitigation of key threats. These threats include the persistent and widespread use of pesticides. . .” (See also a study in Environmental Entomology, which shows that habitat and open space near agricultural fields become a killing field of pesticides, threatening biodiversity due to contamination from toxic drift.) As this false sense of protection persists, Beyond Pesticides is calling on governors to adopt policies that support organic land management and ecological balance. Organic practices are, by definition, a systems change that is aligned with nature and the biodiversity protection that is needed. Ecological traps are incremental steps that fail to address underlying systemic problems that allow hazards to persist. While they represent an affirmative action in an attempt to adopt restorative measures, the […]

(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, November 18, 2025) A study published in Horticultural Plant Journal provides additional evidence on the viability of organically managed farmland based on tomatoes cultivated through traditional plant breeding and regional variances. The authors of the research find that, “Despite the positive trend of the organic sector’s development in Europe, the number of tomato varieties bred for organic farming is still limited since efforts have been mainly focused on high input conditions.” They continue: “As a result, the existing cultivars may not suit to organic production [ ] as cultivars chosen for conventional [chemical-intensive] systems often respond well to chemical fertilizers to improve crop output, but they might not maximize nutrient uptake in organic systems where minor external inputs are provided.” In this context, the marketplace is not maximizing the potential productivity of organic systems due to the limited availability of seeds and plant material best suited to conditions in sync with local ecosystems. The designed methodology, as well as the findings, show that there are opportunities for public investment to support systems that cultivate agricultural products without reliance on petrochemical-based fertilizers, pesticides, and seeds treated with pesticide products and other genetically modified characteristics. For millennia, humans have worked […]

(Beyond Pesticides, November 13, 2025) A study in Environmental Science & Technology shows that maternal exposure to organophosphate (OP) and pyrethroid insecticides adversely affects newborn health. Through amino acid and acylcarnitine metabolomics (the study of small molecules known as metabolites) with over 400 mother-infant pairs, this research analyzes metabolic pathways linking pesticide exposure to negative birth outcomes. “To our knowledge, this study is the first to reveal the effect of OP and pyrethroid insecticide exposure on neonatal metabolic signatures, which may elucidate a key role of metabolites in insecticide exposure and birth outcomes,” the authors state. In collecting maternal urine samples in the first and third trimesters, as well as neonatal blood samples after birth, OP and pyrethroid metabolites and metabolomic biomarkers are assessed. Notably, the authors report: “Results indicated that third-trimester maternal urinary levels of 3- phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) and diethyl dithiophosphate (DEDTP) were negatively associated with birth weight. Specifically, a one-unit increase in their ln-transformed [natural logarithm form] concentrations was associated with a 1.508% decrease in birth weight for 3-PBA and a 1.366% decrease for DEDTP.” Additionally, the analyses show that OP and pyrethroid exposure is associated with “disrupted neonatal amino acids and acylcarnitine profiles, with patterns varying […]

(Beyond Pesticides, November 10, 2025) With a small but growing organic beer market, Beyond Pesticides is urging breweries to align with ecological farming practices and to seek out organic sources for their ingredients. In a June 2025 release, the marketing research firm Data Bridge reports that, “The global organic beer market size was valued at USD 7.24 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 11.90 billion by 2032, at a CAGR [Compound Annual Growth Rate] of 6.4% during the forecast period.” The company attributes the growth to “health-conscious and environmentally-aware consumers” and finds “rising consumer preference for organic and clean-label beverages,” with consumers “actively seeking beer options made with organic hops, malt, and natural ingredients, free from synthetic pesticides or GMOs  [genetically modified organisms].” Harmful pesticides, including glyphosate, 2,4-D, and other toxic herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides, are used in the production of the ingredients of beer. Residues may remain in barley, oats, wheat, and hops used to make beer. Not only do the residues pose a risk to beer drinkers, but growing these crops nonorganically threatens farmworkers, waterways, wildlife, and pollinators.   More than 800 million pounds of pesticides are used each year in U.S. agriculture, with devastating impacts on soil life, pollinators, and ecosystem health. Harm to the soil microbiome and invertebrates like worms and beetles is magnified by synergistic interactions with chemical fertilizers, undermining the foundation of […]

(Beyond Pesticides, November 7, 2025) There is little dispute that modern industrial culture has produced a constellation of related chronic conditions contributing powerfully to human disease. In recent decades, attention has begun to focus on the developmental origins of health and disease—prenatal exposures to pesticides, for example, that contribute to diseases in adulthood, such as cardiovascular and metabolic problems, along with the combination, known as cardiometabolic syndrome. Cardiometabolic disorders include obesity, hypertension, cholesterol imbalances, and insulin resistance. The usual suspects blamed for the syndrome are poor diet, physical inactivity, and genetic predisposition. These are all well-established risk factors, but they fail to fully account for the sharp rise in cardiometabolic syndrome globally. Obesity prevalence has doubled and diabetes quadrupled over the last 40 years, according to the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Risk Factor Collaboration. In a study on early life exposure to a pesticide mixture, researchers analyze sex differences in cardiometabolic outcomes from prenatal and early life. The study was conducted by an international team of scientists led by Ana M. Mora, M.D., of the Center for Environmental Research and Community Health at the University of California, Berkeley, using data from the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of […]

(Beyond Pesticides, November 4, 2025) A study of earthworms published in Environmental Science & Technology highlights how chemical mixtures can have both synergistic and species-specific effects, threatening the soil microbiome and overall soil health. In exposing two species, Eisenia fetida and Metaphire guillelmi, to the weed killer glyphosate alone and in combination with urea, a form of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, the researchers find enhanced toxicity with co-exposure as well as varying health effects between the two species. These results emphasize the need to test a wide variety of nontarget organisms for impacts from environmental contaminants, since species, even within the same genus or family, can exhibit vastly different effects. Glyphosate, as one of the most widely used herbicides worldwide, is highly researched, with a multitude of studies linking the weed killer to effects on humans, wildlife, and soil ecosystems. Since simultaneous application of glyphosate and urea frequently occurs in agriculture, the effects of this mixture on earthworms are crucial for understanding the overall impacts on soil health. In exposing the two species to the individual compounds and as a mixture, the authors report increased glyphosate residues in earthworm gut contents, reduced body weight, aggravated intestinal tissue damage, sharply decreased digestive […]

(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 27, 2025) With the confluence of science and law, the spotlight is on sewage sludge fertilizer and its contaminants, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Sewage sludge (biosolids) is a byproduct of sewage treatment and is used as a source of organic matter for amending soil in nonorganic agriculture and landscaping. In light of a recent settlement in a lawsuit filed by Beyond Pesticides against ScottsMiracle-Gro, ongoing litigation against GreenTechnologies, LLC, and a major study identifying 414 contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), Beyond Pesticides’ network is calling on Governors and local officials to ban the use of biosolids on farms and parks, until there is adequate testing of toxic residues—which does not currently exist.   The lawsuits against producers of sewage sludge fertilizer cite test results showing PFAS residues in the companies’ products and numerous scientific studies on the adverse effects of PFAS to public health, wildlife, and pollinators. (See settlement statement recently reached with ScottsMiracle-Gro.)  A literature review published in Frontiers in Environmental Chemistry identifies CECs in soils, untreated and treated sewage sludge (biosolids), and dust, across 151 peer-reviewed studies released between 2018 and 2023—emphasizing the range of potential exposure pathways across various products, including classes of pesticides like neonicotinoid insecticides. […]

(Beyond Pesticides, October 23, 2025) A global literature review of pesticide residues in marine seaweed, published in Marine Pollution Bulletin, highlights the widespread presence of pesticides in bioindicator species. As vital coastal primary producers, seaweed acts as a key indicator for regional pesticide contamination patterns. The bioaccumulation within seaweed species also threatens consumers, including humans, as the chemicals can biomagnify as they move through the food web. Pesticide contamination in waterways allows residues to bioaccumulate in seaweed species, presenting risks to public health, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning. In addition to the support seaweeds provide for ecosystems, they provide food sources for a multitude of organisms and are of growing socioeconomic importance. “This systematic review identifies, critically evaluates, and synthesizes recent global literature (2015–2024) on pesticide residues detected in seaweeds to delineate contamination patterns,” the authors share. The findings highlight the harmful impacts of petrochemical pesticides on multiple species. Many aquatic species rely on seaweed as a food source, including fish, sea urchins, crabs, snails, brittle stars, and marine mammals such as manatees and sea turtles. Even bacteria and filter feeders consume seaweed when it is decomposed. Birds and land mammals also consume seaweed, including humans who utilize seaweed in various […]

(Beyond Pesticides, October 22, 2025) The release of scientific studies on contaminants in sewage sludge (biosolids) used as fertilizers coincides with two lawsuits filed by Beyond Pesticides against ScottsMiracle-Gro and GreenTechnologies, LLC, in which the organization alleged that each defendant engaged in false and deceptive marketing and sale of fertilizer products that were marketed as environmentally friendly, despite containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”). PFAS have been linked to cancer and other adverse effects. (See settlement statement recently reached with ScottsMiracle-Gro.) Biosolids are widely used in agricultural production and nonagricultural land management, including parks and playing fields, but  prohibited from use in certified organic agriculture under the Organic Foods Production Act. Two recent studies raise serious concerns about a range of contaminants in treated sewage sludge. While widely advanced as supplementing organic matter with macro- and micro-nutrients, treated sludge “harbor[s] a concentrated presence of contaminants that have adsorbed onto the soil post-wastewater treatment,” according to a literature review published in Frontiers in Environmental Chemistry. The researchers identify 414 contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in soils, untreated and treated sewage sludge (biosolids), and dust, across 151 peer-reviewed studies released between 2018 and 2023—emphasizing the range of potential exposure pathways across various […]

(Beyond Pesticides, October 21, 2025) A study, published in International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, calculates cumulative dietary pesticide exposure and finds a significant positive association between pesticide residues in food and urine when analyzing over 40 produce types. The research uses data for 1,837 individuals from the 2015–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and compares them to biomonitoring samples of the participants. According to the researchers, “Here we show that consumption of fruits and vegetables, weighted by pesticide load, is associated with increasing levels of urinary pesticide biomarkers.” They continue, “When excluding potatoes, consumption of fruits and vegetables weighted by pesticide contamination was associated with higher levels of urinary pesticide biomarkers for organophosphate, pyrethroid, and neonicotinoid insecticides.” The NHANES data is derived from a national biomonitoring survey from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which collects information about consumption of fruits and vegetables as well as urine samples. Background As the study authors explain: “Hundreds of millions of pounds of synthetic pesticide active ingredients are used every year in the United States, and pesticide exposure can occur through food, drinking water, residential proximity to agricultural spraying, household pesticide use, and occupational use. Pesticide […]

(Beyond Pesticides, October 20, 2025) With the release of a study that links the use of nitrogen fertilizer in combination with antibiotic pesticides to escalating bacterial resistance, public health advocates are renewing their call for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Congress to eliminate antibiotic pesticide use in land management. This action comes on the heels of a World Health Organization (WHO) study finding that antibiotic resistance is evolving even faster than previously thought. WHO finds, “One in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections causing common infections in people worldwide in 2023 were resistant to antibiotic treatments. . .. Between 2018 and 2023, antibiotic resistance rose in over 40% of the pathogen-antibiotic combinations monitored, with an average annual increase of 5–15%.”  These findings, linking pesticides, antibiotics, and nitrogen fertilizers to antibiotic resistance, again raise serious concerns about the deadly impacts of conventional (chemical-intensive) agricultural practices on human health. The researchers found that nitrogen is a strong driver of resistance processes. The richness and diversity of phages—viruses that attack bacteria and can transmit antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs)—is highest in the groups exposed to both nitrogen and combined pesticides, and the abundance of ARGs in phages becomes “markedly elevated” in those same exposure conditions.  Bacterial […]

(Beyond Pesticides, October 17, 2025) Earlier this week, on October 13, the fossil fuel industry, commodity crop groups, and their political allies celebrated Global Fertilizer Day. The industry is celebrating the widespread (and growing) use of petroleum products, including synthetic, nitrogen-based and fossil-fuel derived fertilizers. As a response to industry claims that petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers are critical to ensuring global food security, Beyond Pesticides and a broad coalition spanning civil society, scientists, farmers, farmworkers and working people are pushing back against toxic chemical dependency and advancing organic land (agricultural and nonagricultural) management as cost-effective, productive, and protective of health and the environment.   A review last year in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) highlights the urgent need to address the widespread chemical pollution stemming from the petrochemical industry, underscoring the dire implications for public health. Tracey Woodruff, PhD, author and professor at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), emphatically states, “We need to recognize the very real harm that petrochemicals are having on people’s health. Many of these fossil-fuel-based chemicals are endocrine disruptors, meaning they interfere with hormonal systems, and they are part of the disturbing rise in disease.” (Watch Dr. Woodruff’s talk to the 41st National Forum, Fossil Fuels […]

(Beyond Pesticides, October 16, 2025) An important new study links pesticides, antibiotics, and nitrogen fertilizers to the extreme global crisis of antibiotic resistance, raising serious concerns about the adverse impacts of conventional (chemical-intensive) agricultural practices. The research team, from several Chinese universities and laboratories and Queen’s University in Belfast, conducted a three-year study in China using soil bacteria and phages (bacteriophages, or viruses that invade bacteria) from an experimental field, exposing them to a variety of conditions ranging from the control (no exposures) to various combinations of nitrogen fertilizer and two categories of pesticides (the insecticide chlorpyrifos and a blend of the fungicides azoxystrobin and propiconazole). Phages are viruses that eat bacteria. They invade the bacterial cell and, in various ways, cause the death of the bacterium. Some viral genes cause the cells to lyse, or dissolve, releasing their genetic material into the surrounding environment, where other organisms can pick up new genes. In this way, phages are a major pipeline for horizontal gene transfer (movement of genes in bacteria from one bacterial species to another) among microbes. This phenomenon is of increasing concern because the genes circulating in this marketplace include many that enhance antibiotic resistance. The researchers were […]

(Beyond Pesticides, October 15, 2025) The latest Scientific Investigations Report for 2025 from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), entitled “National Water Quality Program: Multidecadal Change in Pesticide Concentrations Relative to Human Health Benchmarks in the Nation’s Groundwater,” finds moderate concentrations of five pesticides, with the highest percentages in agricultural wells, and concentrations of the carcinogenic soil fumigant DBCP (1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane), which also causes infertility, that are greater than the maximum containment level, despite being banned over 45 years ago. These results highlight the persistence of pesticides used in agriculture and the elevated risks of pesticide contamination in agricultural areas. This report monitors concentrations of pesticides in well networks across the U.S. in decadal intervals, with this last one incorporating data ranging from 1993-2023. Additionally, DBCP in one well network in the San Joaquin-Tulare River Basin in California continues to be assessed due to previous levels exceeding the human health benchmark (HHB) established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The limitations of the study are disclosed in the text of the report. As the authors state: “Only pesticides with an HHB were included in the multidecadal pesticide change analysis… The total number of pesticides included in this study is less than […]

(Beyond Pesticides, October 14, 2025) With escalating environmental, health, climate crises tied to petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers, Beyond Pesticides is calling the transition to organic land management a mandate, not a choice. Additionally, as a solution, organic agriculture has returned competitive yields with chemical-intensive farming and higher profitability. In this context, Beyond Pesticides and its network are supporting the Organic Science and Research Investment (OSRI) Act, S.1385 and H.R. 5703, to help grow the organic sector and are asking members of Congress to cosponsor the legislation. If passed, OSRI will make strategic investments into the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) organic agriculture research, assisting farmers to meet the growing demand for organic products and keep organic dollars circulating in rural and regional economies. The House and Senate bills include the same legislative language.  As the health, biodiversity, and climate crises escalate, Beyond Pesticides views organic agriculture and nonagricultural land management as a social good, necessary to a sustainable future. Given the dismantling of many federal environmental programs and the weakening or undermining of pesticide regulation, the transition to the organic alternative has taken on increased importance, according to public health and environmental advocates. The true cost of conventional, petrochemical pesticide and fertilizer use is integral to any calculation of the […]

(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 7, 2025) Published in Environment International, a study utilizing silicone wristbands provides a snapshot of chemical exposure in over 600 participants across 10 European countries. Using the wristbands as passive and noninvasive samplers, the researchers find that organic farmers’ wristbands contain lower pesticide levels than other groups, offering insight into the benefits of organic and disproportionate risks to farmers using chemical-intensive methods. The results further reveal prevalent environmental pesticide mixtures, in addition to highlighting exposure to current-use pesticides (CUPs) and legacy (banned) pesticides that occurs through multiple exposure routes to workers, residents, and consumers. “Our study offers a comprehensive analysis of non-dietary pesticide exposure patterns among various populations across the EU [European Union], underscoring its widespread prevalence and identifying significant occupational and residential predictors,” the authors explain. As pesticide exposure occurs through both dietary and nondietary routes, such as through dermal (skin) contact and inhalation of contaminated air, there “is a growing need for aggregated [total; combined] exposure estimates across occupationally and nonoccupationally exposed populations.” The study includes testing for 193 pesticides, both legacy pesticides and CUPs, captured in silicone wristbands worn by farmers, residents living close to treated fields (neighbors), and the general population (consumers) in […]

(Beyond Pesticides, October 1, 2025) A novel study in Scientific Reports combines computational analyses with toxicological data to identify pathways affected by exposure to the weed killer glyphosate. The analyses identify glyphosate targets that correlate with kidney injury and kidney cancer, revealing pathways with significant glyphosate-induced alterations, including the dysregulation of nitrogen metabolism that leads to ammonia accumulation and oxidative stress, both of which contribute to renal (kidney) damage and carcinogenesis (development of cancer). “This study provides a comprehensive investigation into the molecular mechanisms by which glyphosate may contribute to kidney injury and kidney cancer, employing an array of bioinformatics tools for target prediction, toxicity assessment, pathway enrichment analysis, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation,” the researchers state. The results of the analyses and simulations highlight the molecular mechanisms underlying glyphosate’s nephrotoxic (damaging to kidneys) and carcinogenic (cancer-causing) effects. Study Importance and Background Glyphosate, known as a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide, has been used for agricultural and nonagricultural purposes for decades and is the most extensively used herbicide worldwide. This widespread use is largely due to its application to genetically engineered, glyphosate-tolerant crops. Both glyphosate and its main metabolite (breakdown product), aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), are detected in water, soil, and food, […]

(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 23, 2025) A study published in European Journal of Agronomy, based on a 16-year, long-term experiment (LTE), finds that organic crops (cotton production with wheat and soybean rotations) in tropical climates are competitive with chemical-intensive (conventional) systems when evaluating systems’ resilience (to weather and insect resistance), input costs, and profitability. One of the underlying assumptions of continuous pesticide use is that they will continue to serve as effective weapons in the never-ending war against insects, weeds, and fungal diseases that threaten the economic viability and sustainability of the farming operations. While organic systems faced reduced yields due to pest pressures from pink bollworm infestations, their relative decline was much smaller than that of the chemical-intensive operations. This study’s findings indicate that a different direction is not only possible, but necessary, for the long-term financial viability of farms. Farmers understand that the health of the soil is a compounding investment that will help or hurt you depending on the actions taken yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The authors state in the study introduction that the long-term study is critical when studying organic productivity and profitability because short-term studies fail to capture. “Critical variables like soil health, pest dynamics, and […]