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Daily News Blog

Archive for the 'Federal Agencies' Category


27
Apr

Organic Standards Open to Comment; USDA Defies Congressional Mandate to Fill Organic Board Vacancies

(Beyond Pesticides, April 27, 2026) The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB)—a stakeholder board created by Congress to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on organic standards under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and manage the list of allowed materials in organic production, is accepting public inputĀ  through May 4, 2026. Today, April 27, is the final day to sign up for oral comments that will be received on a May 5 and 7 webinar. Ā For a complete discussion on all the issues before the NOSB, seeĀ Keeping Organic StrongĀ and theĀ Spring 2026 Beyond Pesticides’ issues webpage. The NOSB meeting is taking place at a time when the Trump administration has been dismantling government programs and defied a Congressional mandate to replace board members whose terms expired in January. Ā While the remaining board members continue to meet, the Secretary of Agriculture has left empty five appointees to the board—creating an imbalance that violates a statutory mandate to ensure that the board membership reflects the range of voices and perspectives that are important to the viability and growth of the organic sector—a sustainable alternative to chemical-intensive agriculture reliant of petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers. The terms of five board members that expired in January have […]

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23
Apr

Despite Benefits, Transition to Organic Farmland Not Growing as Fast as Consumer Demand, Study Finds

(Beyond Pesticides, April 23, 2026) ā€œFully organic growers face fewer agronomic challenges as compared to mixed growers,ā€ according to a recent analysis published in Agricultural Systems by researchers at the University of California. The authors cite a slowing growth rate for organic certification and new organic farms, despite an increase in consumer demand. A 2025 Organic Trade Association (OTA) report shows organic market product sales at $76.6 billion with an annual growth rate of 6.8 percent—double that of the non-organic marketplace (3.4 percent). On the eve of the 2026 National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) spring meeting to review organic standards and update the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, public health and environmental advocates, and members of the broader regenerative organic movement, will gather. The Board convenes twice a year to vote on key issues that are under review and have been subject to public hearings and comments, intended to ensure organic integrity and expansion. Methodology and Results The researchers combined quantitative and qualitative data from a survey and a set of interviews, respectively, with organic farmers in the state of California. For the survey, 426 certified organic farmers in California responded to questions asking ā€œgrowers to report on […]

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01
Apr

Pick Your Poison: Pesticide Contamination in Cannabis Reveals Longstanding Gaps in Safety

(Beyond Pesticides, April 1, 2026) Researchers at the University of Washington and members of the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board published a commentary piece in Clinical Therapeutics highlighting the growing inadequacy of state-level regulatory safeguards for pesticide contamination of cannabis products. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is unable to assess pesticide residues, nor is it permitted to set tolerance limits under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), because, according to the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), cannabis is a Schedule 1 narcotic, meaning there is ā€œno accepted medical use.ā€ As a result, EPA cannot conduct a full assessment of pesticide exposure associated with inhalation, ingestion, and dermal (skin) adsorption. There is an ongoing rescheduling process that was proposed in 2024 and followed up with an executive order in late 2025 to transition cannabis toward Schedule III status, suggesting that there would be an opening for EPA to promulgate rulemaking to support state-level regulations if it were to move forward. An analysis of active legislation in state legislatures for the 2026 session highlights the concerns—at least 14 states (including Connecticut, California, Georgia, Hawai’i, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin) had bills to […]

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17
Mar

Genetically Modified Microorganisms Threaten Human and Soil Health; Full Extent of Hazards Not Regulated

(Beyond Pesticides, March 17, 2026) An article in Microorganisms by researchers from the U.S., Israel, and Australia analyzes the adverse health and environmental effects of genetic engineering and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), specifically genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs). As the authors state, the prevalence of genetic engineering has ā€œaccelerated the creation and large-scale environmental releaseā€ of GMMs, which ā€œpresent unique, long-term risks to human and environmental health.ā€ One of the authors, AndrĆ© Leu, DSc, spoke at the first session of Beyond Pesticides’ National Forum Series: Forging a Future with Nature in 2023. (See recording here.) This review provides risk scenarios of GMMs, showing the threat to ecological systems, particularly within the soil, and human health. As GMMs are ā€œbiologically active, self-replicating entities capable of rapid mutation and global dispersalā€ they present greater risks, and current regulatory frameworks do not adequately assess their potential harm. Genetically altering microorganisms, the most complex and diverse systems in biology, and creating new gene combinations with unknown implications, ā€œhas the potential to disrupt the functions, diversity, interactions, and impacts of microbes and microbiomes,ā€ the researchers note. They continue: ā€œThis puts human and environmental health at risk. Worst-case scenarios include the promotion of diseases, risks to species […]

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16
Mar

Introduction of New Genetically Engineered Wheat Tied to Dangerous Pattern of Hazardous Pesticide Use

(Beyond Pesticides, March 16, 2026)Ā On the brink of the first genetically engineered (GE) wheat to be introduced into the U.S. market, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved it in August, 2024, groups are calling on Congress to instruct USDA to prohibit HB4 wheat and instruct EPA to prohibit the use of glufosinate herbicides on wheat. The herbicide on which the crop is dependent, glufosinate, is a highly toxic herbicide banned in the European Union because of its links to reproductive and developmental harm. The drought- and herbicide-tolerant wheat, known as HB4 GMO wheat, follows a long line of genetically engineered crops that have been allowed to be grown in the U.S., with Roundup ReadyTM (glyphosate-tolerant) soybeans being among the first crops allowed in 1996. While the introduction of this technology promised to reduce pesticide use (herbicides are included under the definition of pesticide), the exact opposite occurred, with the skyrocketing of herbicide use. (See Daily News review of a study by Charles Benbrook, PhD, ā€œImpacts of genetically engineered crops on pesticide use in the U.S.—the first sixteen years.ā€) The extraordinary increase in herbicide use associated with GE crops has been accompanied by an escalating increase in weed resistance […]

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06
Mar

Farm Bill Strips Protections from Pesticides for Farmers, Consumers, and the Environment

(Beyond Pesticides, March 6, 2026) The Farm Bill—the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, H.R. 7567—reported out of the Agriculture Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday strips environmental and public health protections from pesticides, reversing over 90 years of environmental laws adopted by Congress to protect farmers, consumers, and the environment that stretch back to the first Farm Bill in 1933. The Committee rejected the Protect Our Health Amendment, sponsored by Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME), which would have ensured that the final bill maintain three core safeguards in current law: (i) Judicial review of chemical manufacturersā€˜ failure to warn about pesticide hazards; (ii) Democratic right of local governments in coordination with states to protect residents from pesticide use; and, (iii) Local site-specific action to ensure protection—the safety of air, water, and land from pesticides under numerous environmental statutes. All Republicans and one Democrat (Rep. Adam Gray, D-CA) on the Committee blocked the Pingree amendment. The Agriculture Committee bill adversely affects a wide range of social and conservation issues, including the protection of family farms, food security, environmental and public health, local and state authority, and judicial review, according to a cross-section of groups representing these interests. […]

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02
Mar

GOP Farm Bill Goes to Committee Amid Broad Opposition to Provisions that Eliminate Protections from Pesticides

(Beyond Pesticides, March 2, 2026) In advance of deliberations on the Farm Bill tomorrow, March 3, in the Agriculture Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, opposition to the GOP-proposed legislation has been widely expressed by farm, environmental, consumer, and social justice organizations. The bill, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, H.R. 7567, is a dramatic departure from previous Farm Bills going back to the first one in 1933, which began a process of integrated policy to address family farmers’ sustainability, land conservation, energy, climate, and food security. Discarding the traditional bipartisan process used to draft the Farm Bill, the Republican leadership has instead proposed a measure that has garnered across-the-board disapproval, except from those representing the vested interests of chemical companies and agribusiness. In order to uphold fundamental protections from pesticides for farmers, consumers, and the environment, a campaign has emerged to urge U.S. Representatives to support Rep. Pingree’sĀ Protect Our Health AmendmentĀ (removes Sections 10205-10207), move to strike Sections 10201-10204 and 102011, and support theĀ No Immunity for Glyphosate ActĀ provisions. Without a comprehensive overhaul, this campaign is urging a vote against the Farm Bill. Central to the GOP Farm Bill, released by the chair of the U.S. House Agriculture […]

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27
Feb

Benefits of U.S. Organic Production Highlighted in Evidence-Based Research that Supports an Expedited Transition

(Beyond Pesticides, February 27, 2026) Researchers at Prairie View A&M University in Texas published in the journal Sustainability a study of organic agricultural systems from 1960 to 2021, concluding that ā€œthe outlook for U.S. organic fruit and vegetables is encouraging, supported by expanding consumer demand, government support, and improved conditions for international trade.ā€ While delivering upbeat findings, including health benefits, the study identifies tremendous obstacles to entry into organic farming, including the limited support for alternative pest management and pest control systems in the United States in recent modern history, compared to the assistance provided for highly subsidized, petrochemical-dependent agricultural practices. Public health and environmental advocates continue to advocate for a wholesale transition to organic pest management, including calls for U.S. Representatives and Senators to cosponsor the Opportunities in Organic Act! Study Methodology, Background, and Findings The authors of this literature review arrived at the following conclusions on research trends for human health and environmental impacts of organic systems (for further analysis, the numbers below list citations from their report): ā€œ[O]rganic food has been documented to have higher antioxidant capacity, acidity, and phosphorus as well as lower levels of cadmium, pesticides, and other chemicals (18–22). Additionally, organic practices increase the […]

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23
Feb

Congressional Committee Hears Farm Bill March 3; If Passed as Written Will Revoke Protections from Pesticides

(Beyond Pesticides, February 23, 2026)Ā Amid polarization in the U.S. Congress, key legal protections from pesticides will be revoked with passage of the GOP Farm Bill being debated March 3 in the House Agriculture Committee, despite a growing body of science that shows farmers, consumers, and the environment are facing escalating health and safety threats. In this context, grassroots efforts are underway asking Congressional representative to advocate for the removal of Farm Bill, Title X, Subtitle C, Part 1, which contains attacks on foundational protections from pesticides for farmers, consumers, and the environment—and vote against the Farm Bill if those provisions are not removed. As provisions in the GOP Farm Bill (Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, H.R. 7567) that slash protections from pesticides go to a vote in the Agriculture Committee, health and environmental advocates are calling for committee members to remove the weakening section—Section X, Subtitle C, Part 1, on ā€œRegulatory Reform.ā€ At a time when documented adverse effects from pesticide exposure are skyrocketing and sustainable practices have become widely available, the bill is being characterized as a wish-list for the chemical industry. Recent studies demonstrating connections between prenatal and postnatal exposure to pesticides and severe consequences […]

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20
Feb

Advocates Call for Striking Entire Pesticide Section in GOP Farm Bill To Preserve Fundamental Protections

(Beyond Pesticides, February 20, 2026)Ā As pesticides’ adverse effects on human and ecosystem health stack up in the scientific literature, health and environmental groups are focused on striking an entire section of the Republican Farm Bill that will eliminate protections, which have been written into law for generations. The section is Section X, Subtitle C, Part 1 on ā€œRegulatory Reform.ā€ Threatened are policies intended to protect against the diseases and illnesses touching families and communities, including brain and nervous system disorders, birth abnormalities, cancer, developmental and learning disorders, immune and endocrine disruption, reproductive dysfunction, among others. Wildlife, including mammals, bees and other pollinators, fish and other aquatic organisms, birds, and the biota within soil, are adversely affected with reproductive, neurological, endocrine-disruptive, and developmental anomalies, and cancers. (See Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database.) With the urgent threat of a markup of the legislation scheduled to begin on March 3, attention shifted to a newly released Executive Order (EO) that could provide blanket legal protection for the manufacturer of the weed killer glyphosate, Bayer/Monsanto. By activating the Defense Production Act of 1950 and its immunity from lawsuits provision for glyphosate manufacturers, the administration could mandate production of glyphosate as a ā€œnational securityā€ concern and provide […]

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17
Feb

Lawsuits Against Chemical Companies, Local Pesticide Limits, and Ecosystem Safety Quashed in GOP Farm Bill

(Beyond Pesticides, February 17, 2026) The Ranking Member of the Agriculture Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN), issued a swift rebuke to the GOP 2026 Farm Bill text unveiled last Friday, saying it would be ā€œā€™very difficult, if not impossible’ for her to back a GOP-led farm bill because it contains ‘poison pills’ and doesn’t do enough to aid struggling farmers,ā€ according to Politico. She did not specifically point to the key controversial provisions that eliminate three core safeguards that are seen as critical to the health of farmers, consumers and the environment—judicial review of chemical manufacturers’ failure to warn about pesticide hazards, the democratic right of local governments in coordination with states to protect residents from pesticide use, and local site-specific action to ensure the safety of air, water, and land from pesticides. Beyond Pesticides responded with a nationwide action toĀ Tell members of the U.S. House of Representatives to stop provisions in the Farm Bill that shield chemical companies from liability for the harm caused by their products, intrude on local communities’ democratic right to restrict pesticides, and eliminate pesticide restrictions governing clean water, environmental impacts, and endangered species; with a request to support […]

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16
Feb

Draft Farm Bill Attacks Foundational Protections from Pesticides for Farmers, Consumers, and Environment

(Beyond Pesticides, February 16, 2026) The chair of the Agriculture Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, in releasing the Republican 2026 Farm BillĀ draft last Friday afternoon, is challenging three core safeguards that are seen as critical to the health of farmers, consumers and the environment—judicial review of chemical manufacturers’ failure to warn about pesticide hazards, the democratic right of local governments in coordination with states to protect residents from pesticide use, and local site-specific action to ensure the safety of air, water, and land from pesticides. The draft Farm bill language in three separate sections: (i) prohibits lawsuits by farmers and consumers harmed by pesticides for which manufacturers failed to provide complete safety warnings (Section 10205); (ii) takes away the authority of local governments to protect residents and the local environment from pesticide use (Section 10206), and; (iii) repeals requirements in numerous federal statutes to protect against local pesticide contamination that could affect waterways, drinking water, federal projects, endangered species, migratory birds, and toxic wasteĀ (Section 10207). Beyond Pesticides responded with a nationwide action to Tell members of the U.S. House of Representatives to stop provisions in the Farm Bill that shield chemical companies from liability for the harm caused […]

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21
Jan

USDA Monitoring Report Declares Pesticide Residues in Food Supply Safe, Despite Science to the Contrary

(Beyond Pesticides, January 21, 2026) The data in the annual U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pesticide residue report, released earlier this month, continues to show a pattern of pesticide residues in the majority of food tested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Health advocates say low-level pesticide residues in the food supply within legal limits raise serious hazard concerns, while USDA, in its Pesticide Data Program–Annual Summary, Calendar Year 2024, points to controversial residue standards as a measure of safety. The USDA report finds that over 57 percent of tested commodities contain at least one pesticide and that less than one percent of detected residues violate the legal limit set as a tolerance by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Residues allowed under tolerances establish allowable pesticide use patterns in agriculture that, beyond dietary risks, result in exposure to farmworkers, farmers, waterways, wildlife, and the broad ecosystem in which they are used. (See Eating with a Conscience for a list of pesticides allowed in food production by commodity.) With respect to the preponderance of evidence on adverse health and ecological effects of cumulative exposure to toxic agrichemicals, including pesticides, Beyond Pesticides has called for the transition to organic agriculture. […]

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08
Jan

USDA’s New Regenerative Ag Program, Called Greenwashing, Diverts Resources Needed for Organic Transition

(Beyond Pesticides, January 8, 2026) In a press release published on December 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the creation of ā€œa $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program to help American farmers adopt practices that improve soil health, enhance water quality, and boost long-term productivity, all while strengthening America’s food and fiber supply.ā€ The agency specifically ties the program to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA), diverting resources that could be used to support organic transition and phase out pesticides that are clearly defined as prohibited by USDA’s National Organic Program under the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA), but allowed in regenerative agriculture programs. Regenerative agriculture, embraced by major food companies, has been identified by Beyond Pesticides and many organizations as greenwashing because it typically allows wide use of weed killers and other petrochemical pesticides and is not defined as a transition to organic practices and compatible products. (See here.) Public health and environmental advocates, farmers, and businesses fear that pouring funding into a loosely defined ā€œregenerative agricultureā€ program will not only undermine existing efforts to transition farming and communities to more sustainable and truly regenerative systems but also contribute to greenwashing, where corporations that are enabling the climate, […]

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22
Dec

USDA’s ā€œBioengineeredā€ Food Label Language, Called Misleading, Upheld in Court Decision

(Beyond Pesticides, December 22, 2025) After a U.S. Court of Appeals Court decision in October that upheld the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) ā€œbioengineeredā€ food label language, Beyond Pesticides with people across the country renewed their call for truth in labeling—so that consumers clearly understand when products contain genetically engineered ingredients. The label requirement became law under the National Bioengineered Ā Food Disclosure Standard in 2016. When USDA proposed the bioengineered label, Beyond Pesticides told the agency in 2017, ā€œSince many consumers may not know or understand the term bioengineering, there should be allowable interchangeable terms for the disclosure standard. These include the terms: genetically engineered, genetically modified organism, and GMO.ā€ Beyond Pesticides issued an action to: ā€œTell USDA to require full disclosure of genetically engineered ingredients, using terms understandable to consumers.ā€œ At the same time, the court ruled that USDA had failed to properly implement the law in allowing manufactures to provide label ingredient with a reference to the availability of electronic information. After a 2024Ā decisionĀ by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of CaliforniaĀ overturningĀ rulesĀ issued under the first Trump administration that, according toĀ the Center for Food Safety (CFS),Ā ā€œpractically eliminate oversight of novel GE technology and instead let industry self-regulate,ā€Ā the […]

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19
Dec

Tis the Season for Family and Friends To Think About Going Organic for Safety Reasons—Christmas Trees in Focus

(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 ā€œspecial review of pesticides used on Christmas trees.ā€ 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 […]

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09
Dec

USDA Study Reports Pollution Control and Productivity in Organic Ag Outpaces Chemical-Intensive Ag

(Beyond Pesticides, December 9, 2025) In the Journal of Environmental Quality, researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report that a 4-year organically managed corn-soybean-oat system reduces nitrogen (N) loads by 50 percent with corn and soybean yields ā€œequivalent to or higher than conventional [chemical-intensive] in most years.ā€ The findings from a 7-year study comparing nitrate loss in organic and chemical-intensive management found that organically managed perennial pasture reduced nitrogen loads significantly. The study, which focused onĀ nitrate pollution in agricultureĀ that harms biodiversity, threatens waterways, drinking water, and public health, and releasesĀ nitrous oxide (an extremely potent greenhouse gas), was conducted at USDA’s National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment. Organic and regenerative organic farmers and businesses posit that if commodity crops can be grown in organically managed systems with competitive yields, then this supports their argument for alternative systems not only feasible but economically sustainable and responsible. Background and Methodology The researchers note that, in the eastern and U.S. Midwest, ā€œsubsurface tile drainageā€ (the practice of manually draining fields below the surface soil to assist fields that are otherwise challenging to drain due to wet areas/highly compacted soils) has exacerbated nitrogen and nutrient runoff, ultimately leading to diminished soil health. […]

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08
Dec

Group Calls for Opposition to Administration’s Narrowing of Critical Habitats for Endangered Species Protection

(Beyond Pesticides, December 8, 2025)Ā In response to the Trump administration’s proposed new rules to limit protections for critical habitats under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Beyond Pesticides is calling for public action to ā€œTell the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) not to adopt regulations that weaken protection of threatened and endangered species.ā€ AccordingĀ  to environmentalists, four new rules will allow an expansion of oil drilling, logging, and mining in critical habitats. A week before Thanksgiving, which honors habitats supporting life, FWS, part of the Department of Interior (DOI), and NMFS, part of the Department of Commerce, announced proposed revisions to the rules implementing ESA that raises serious questions about the future restrictions of the nation’s foundational environmental law. Passed with bipartisan support in 1973, the ESA establishes ā€œa prohibition on ‘take’ of a species, the requirement that all federal agencies ensure that the actions they carry out will not jeopardize the continued existence of a threatened or endangered species, and the drafting and implementation of recovery plans for at risk species,ā€ according to the National Agricultural Law Center. See ESAĀ current regulations.Ā  Secretary of DOI Doug BurgumĀ describes the action: ā€œThis administration is restoring theĀ Endangered […]

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01
Dec

The Endangered Species Act and Mother Earth In Jeopardy

(Beyond Pesticides, December 1, 2025) A week before Thanksgiving, and the honoring of critical habitats that support life, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced proposed revisions to the rules implementing the Endangered Species Act (ESA) that environmentalists say will severely weaken the nation’s foundational environmental law. Passed with bipartisan support in 1973, as an update to earlier related statutes, the law establishes a prohibition ā€œon ā€˜take’ of a species, the requirement that all federal agencies ensure that the actions they carry out will not jeopardize the continued existence of a threatened or endangered species, and the drafting and implementation of recovery plans for at risk species,ā€ according to the National Agricultural Law Center.ā€ See ESA current regulations. FWS and NMFS describe their proposals as a strengthening of the rules implementing ESA, explaining that they ā€œremove regulatory barriers that hinder responsible resource development and economic growth, including expanded oil exploration. However, environmentalists explain that the proposals undermine the basic protections provided threatened and endangered species and narrow the definition of critical habitats. ESA grows out of a history of respect for the earth that is captured in the Thanksgiving Address (theĀ Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen) […]

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18
Nov

Research in Traditional Plant Breeding in Organic Tomato Traits Critical to Productivity

(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, ā€œDespite 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.ā€ They continue: ā€œAs 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.ā€ 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 […]

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11
Nov

Toxic Chemical Exposure During Military Service Recognized as Threatening Veterans’ Health

(Beyond Pesticides, November 11, 2025) A study published in Cardiovascular Toxicology (July 2025) finds significant associations between Gulf War deployment-related toxic chemical exposure hazards and various adverse health outcomes, including heightened risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVDs), such as ā€œheart attack, coronary heart disease, stroke, transient ischemic attack, and peripheral vascular disease.ā€ While there were no significant associations found directly between pesticide products and these adverse health effects, researchers attribute this to limited sample sizes and wide confidence intervals as part of the study methodology. Further research is necessary to build on this study, given the preponderance of scientific evidence linking pesticide exposure to heightened health risks to the cardiovascular system. On the issue of statistical significance, the authors state the following: ā€œThere may be difficulty [for survey respondents] remembering the[ir] military exposure history since the survey was completed nearly 25 years after the Gulf War.ā€ While it is difficult to pinpoint pesticide exposure as a cause of illness among the toxic mixtures to which service members are exposed, there has been recognition by the Veterans Administration (VA) of diseases that are directly related to military service. Beyond Pesticides previously reported that the VA has established 20 burn pit and […]

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03
Nov

Foundational National Environmental Policy Act Under Threat. . .Again

(Beyond Pesticides, November 3, 2025) After a series of legal setbacks for the nation’s cornerstone law of environmental protection, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Beyond Pesticides has joined a call for members of the U.S. Congress to oppose weakening amendments to the statute—H.R. 4776, the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic DevelopmentĀ (SPEED)Ā Act. Environmental advocates say the bill, introduced by U.S. Representatives Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Jared Golden (D-ME) in July 2025, is a fossil fuel and agriculture industry wish list that will weaken NEPA protections. In recognition of ā€œthe profound impact of man’s activity on the interrelations of all components of the natural environment,ā€Ā NEPA’s statement of purposeĀ ā€œdeclare[s] a national policy which will encourage productive and enjoyable harmony between man and his environment.ā€Ā By requiring environmental assessments (EAs) or environmental impact statements (EISs) for federal actions, it creates a procedural barrier to environmentally damaging proposals.Ā Ā  The requirements of NEPA go beyond the production of reports.Ā In the process of producingĀ EAs and EISs, NEPA requires the agency to define the purpose and need for the project and examine all reasonable alternatives.Ā ThisĀ alternativesĀ assessment is a model for environmental policy that should be adopted by agencies regardless of whether it is considering actions that meet NEPA’s thresholds. […]

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15
Oct

Report on Pesticide Contamination of Nation’s Groundwater Shows Widespread Exposure and Health Threats

(Beyond Pesticides, October 15, 2025) The latest Scientific Investigations Report for 2025 from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), entitled ā€œNational Water Quality Program: Multidecadal Change in Pesticide Concentrations Relative to Human Health Benchmarks in the Nation’s Groundwater,ā€ 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: ā€œOnly pesticides with an HHB were included in the multidecadal pesticide change analysis… The total number of pesticides included in this study is less than […]

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