Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category
19
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 19, 2026) Research continues to mount on organically managed systems, reinforcing the importance of fostering soil health to ultimately reduce dependency on increasingly expensive petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers, ultimately making food more affordable. Research published in Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition determines that long-term organic management enhances various soil health indicators to a greater degree than conventionally managed systems. The organic soil qualities include greater microbial diversity, increased microbial biomass carbon (MBC), higher dehydrogenase activity (DHA), and higher alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP), among other favorable outcomes. The positive impacts of organic land management on soil health, microbial diversity, and biodiversity cannot be overstated, given the existential threats imposed on the planet by petrochemical-based agricultural practices. Methodology and Main Findings This study was conducted at the Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) in Rajasthan province, India. The annual average rainfall for this region is 100 mm (about 4 inches) and 450 mm (18 inches), with nearly 90 percent of that rainfall falling between June and September. Both the organic and conventional sites consist of loamy soils and shared agro-climatic conditions. The organic site was established in 2008 and certified by the Rajasthan State Organic Certification Study, […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Biodiversity, Integrated and Organic Pest Management, Microbiata, soil health, Soil microbiome, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
18
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 18, 2026) As the studies continue to mount on the adverse effects of exposure to low levels of organophosphate insecticides, the calls for banning the chemicals are growing. Beyond Pesticides announced an action to “Tell Congress, FDA, and EPA that it is past time to stop the manufacture and use of all organophosphate pesticides, which damage the nervous system and brain at low levels.” There are alternatives to these chemicals that support productive and profitable farming operations. Defying the often-repeated claim that organophosphate pesticide effects occur only at high doses, a recent study by researchers at University of California, San Diego, and the FundaciĂłn Cimas del Ecuador in Quito, Ecuador, establishes for the first time the pattern of adverse developmental effects that low-level exposure has on healthy neurological and brain development in children. It is firmly established that widely used organophosphate pesticides in food production and other sites are severely toxic to a broad range of organisms. In what is known as their “classic” mechanism of action, they inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE), an enzyme that breaks down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh), particularly in neuromuscular junctions in the brain. Organophosphates are nerve agents, originally developed by the German company IG Farben (a […]
Posted in ADHD, Agriculture, BASF, Bayer, behavioral and cognitive effects, Brain Effects, Children, Chlorpyrifos, Corteva, Developmental Disorders, Dow Chemical, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Epigenetic Effects, Immunotoxicity, IQ Loss, Nervous System Effects, organophosphate, Take Action, Uncategorized | No Comments »
14
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 14, 2026) In a new report by Friends of the Earth, federal organic standards as defined by the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) are identified as a bedrock “Threshold Program” with high minimum standards that combine three core features—synthetic pesticide and fertilizer prohibitions, soil health requirements, and third-party verification and enforcement systems. In other words, the review of thirteen regenerative and regenerative organic labels and enforcement systems must be built on enforceable standards. This criterion is foundational to the growth of the U.S. organic sector to over $76.6 billion in domestic sales in 2025, expanding at a pace nearly twice the rate of growth (6.8 percent) compared to the national agricultural sector more broadly (3.4 percent). Main Findings The report focuses on the principles of 13 different regenerative labeling and certification systems on the market, including a comparison of federal organic standards and the U.S. National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The main findings and features of the report include: “Truly regenerative agriculture must phase out dependency on agrochemicals that undermine the very ecological functions on which resilience depends.” The various “regenerative” agriculture labels currently on the market are significantly varied in terms of pesticide and fertilizer restrictions […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, National Organic Standards Board/National Organic Program, NOSB National Organic Standards Board, Regenerative, Uncategorized, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) | No Comments »
12
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 12, 2026) Research published in Microbiological Research finds that organic farming enhances microbial diversity in citrus orchard soil systems, both in terms of nutrient cycling and aiding in the development of more complex microbial networks pivotal to biodiversity. This comes as no surprise to organic, public health, and biodiversity advocates who have tracked the scientific literature on soil health and human health benefits of organic land management systems. Methodology and Results The international research team for the study engaged in a comparative field study of 15 commercial citrus orchards in Sicily, including 7 organic fields and 8 chemical-intensive, conventional fields, with the prime objective of assessing the role of the farming system, as well as environmental and agronomic factors, on soil microbiome structure and function. They collected 75 samples in summer (June-July 2021) and winter (December 2021-January 2022) periods, with 150 soil samples collected in total. In each orchard, 5 trees were randomly selected, with 4 soil “cores” pooled into one composite sample per tree at a depth of roughly 20-30 centimeters to assess interactions with tree roots and at a distance of 40-100 centimeters from the tree trunk. The researchers assessed water content (pH levels), total […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Biodiversity, soil health, Soil microbiome, Uncategorized | No Comments »
11
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 11, 2026) As studies stack up on adverse synergistic effects of chemical mixtures, serious deficiencies in the regulatory review of pesticides have come into sharp focus. As the hazards are shown to escalate and the regulatory review process is shown to fall short, public health advocates are telling Congress, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Health and Human Services that they must consider the effects of pesticides in the context in which they are used and with reference to the organic alternative. A recent study in Toxics reviewed the current literature on pesticides, microplastics, or metal exposure in combination with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates, finding that PFAS can modify, including intensify, the toxicity of co-occurring pollutants.  A commentary in Frontiers in Toxicology, by  Maricel Maffini, PhD, and Laura Vandenberg, PhD,  notes, “Current approaches also rely on the assumption that testing chemicals one at a time is appropriate to understand how chemicals act under real-world conditions. Numerous mixture studies, including ones that demonstrated cumulative effects, have disproven this assumption.”  As noted by the naturalist, writer, and conservationist John Muir, known as the “Father of the National Parks,” and those before and after him, including the English poet John Donne, […]
Posted in contamination, Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Pesticide Mixtures, Pesticide Regulation, synergistic effects, Take Action, Uncategorized | No Comments »
08
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 8, 2026)  A study from Ecuador establishes for the first time the developmental pattern of nervous system toxicants—still widely used in agriculture, mosquito control, and landscaping—on healthy neurological and brain development in children. It is firmly established that widely used organophosphate pesticides are severely toxic to a broad range of organisms. In what’s known as their “classic” mechanism of action, they inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE), an enzyme that breaks down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh), particularly in neuromuscular junctions in the brain. Not enough AChE leads to a buildup of ACh in motor neurons. Organophosphates deplete AChE, and an acute dose can paralyze the heart and lung muscles, causing death. Chronic exposures are implicated in numerous neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Beyond Pesticides’ Gateway on Pesticide Hazards and Safe Pest Management has detailed information on the organophosphates malathion, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and others. Acetylcholine and AChE are vital biological chemicals conserved across the animal kingdom, from humans to insects and everything in between. Yet there is no established baseline for normal levels of ACh and AChE in humans. Comparing biomarkers of organochlorine exposure with normal values would be a major step forward in assessing the influence […]
Posted in Brain Effects, Children, Developmental Disorders, Insecticides, Lawns/Landscapes, Nervous System Effects, Pesticide Drift, Uncategorized | No Comments »
05
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 5, 2026) In a literature review of peer-reviewed research published in Cambridge University publication Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, researchers at Institute for Applied Agriculture Research (Germany) and Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems (Arizona State University, USA) determine that organically managed systems have better performance indicators under climate-induced stressors, emit less nitrous oxide emissions, increase overall soil organic carbon, and reduce overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The researchers also point out the potential socio-ecological benefits of organic management systems, including their potential for building local and regional food systems. On the eve of the Spring National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting in the United States, advocates continue to call for a wholesale transition to organic and for the immediate appointment of five Board members, who the U.S. Department of Agriculture has failed to seat to fill vacancies, representing farmers, consumers, and an organic certifier. Main Findings This literature review is a follow-up to a 2010 literature review that evaluates the climate mitigation and adaptation potential of organic agriculture based on new science from 2010 to 2025. The research is derived from meta-analyses, peer-reviewed studies, and global reports published by sources such as the Intergovernmental Panel on […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Biodiversity, Climate, Climate Change, Ecosystem Services, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
04
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 4, 2026) Attention shifts to the U.S. Senate after the U.S. House of Representatives last week (April 30) passed a Farm Bill. In a bipartisan vote thought unthinkable just over a month ago when the House Agriculture Committee passed its Farm Bill, Democratic members of Congress, joined by 73 Republicans, stripped from the bill three chemical-industry authored provisions that would have severely weakened pesticide law on a vote of 280 to 142. The final bill, H.R. 7567—Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, which is unacceptable to farm, farmworker, food, and environmental advocates, passed the House on a vote of 224 to 200. (See here for the vote tally.) The Chair of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, Senator John Boozman (R-AR) pointed to the House bill as “bipartisan” and a “significant achievement.” Fourteen Democrats voted for the House bill and three Republicans voted against the legislation, which has been widely referred to as a Republican bill since it was written by Republican lawmakers without input from Democrats. It is not clear whether Sen. Boozman will move ahead with bipartisan negotiations on Senate Farm Bill language.  Beyond Pesticides, along with environmental, farm, farmworker, and consumer groups, is calling […]
Posted in Agriculture, Bayer, Congress, Corporations, Failure to Warn, Farm Bill, Farmworkers, Preemption, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
30
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 30, 2026) On April 27, 2026, advocates—including Beyond Pesticides—from across the political spectrum came together in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to speak out against the chemical industry campaign, led by Bayer/Monsanto, the Trump administration, and Republican lawmakers, to shield chemical manufacturers from liability for failing to warn people who have been harmed by their pesticides. Their multi-pronged strategy targets the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Congress, and state legislatures. The question of the public’s right to sue chemical manufacturers that do not warn of product hazards was heard before the Supreme Court, as Monsanto argued that people who have been diagnosed with cancer after using the weed killer glyphosate should be prohibited from suing the company for failing to warn on the product label. The chemical manufacturer argued in Monsanto v. Durnell that federal registration of a pesticide preempts legal rights afforded to people under state law under U.S. federalism. The chemical industry is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse decades of jurisprudence and shield manufacturers from liability associated with those who are harmed but not warned about pesticide adverse effects like cancer, neurological or immunological conditions, reproductive dysfunction, and other chronic illnesses. Highlighted Quotes […]
Posted in Bayer, Chemicals, Corporations, Failure to Warn, Glyphosate, Monsanto, Preemption, U.S. Supreme Court, Uncategorized | No Comments »
29
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 29, 2026) A study published in Environmental Technology & Innovation finds that organically managed coconut farms significantly improve soil health across numerous markers when compared with conventional (chemical-intensive) plantations. This comes as no surprise to public health and environmental advocates, including farmers, who have seen firsthand the importance of transitioning to land management systems that are in sync with nature. Methodology and Results The research took place in Ben Tre Province of Vietnam across 12 organically managed farms in Mo Cay Nam and 12 chemical-intensive farms in Mo Cay Bac. The organic farms were managed under organic criteria for at least three years, while the conventional farms had been under chemical-intensive farming practices for over 20 years, including synthetic fertilizers and the use of various herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides. Ten soil samples were collected and combined into composite soil samples across all 4 farms. Soil analyses were conducted for microbial life as well as physical and chemical properties. Physical properties include bulk density and soil porosity to assess soil compaction, aeration, and water retention. Chemical properties include pH levels, nutrients (ammonium, nitrate, phosphorus, potassium), as well as soil organic matter (SOM). In terms of the microbial analysis, […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Biodiversity, soil health, Soil microbiome, Uncategorized | No Comments »
27
Apr
(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 input 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.  For a complete discussion on all the issues before the NOSB, see Keeping Organic Strong and the 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.  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 […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, National Organic Standards Board/National Organic Program, Organic Foods Production Act OFPA, Take Action, Uncategorized, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) | 1 Comment »
23
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 23, 2026) “Fully organic growers face fewer agronomic challenges as compared to mixed growers,” 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 “growers to report on […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Environmental Justice, Federal Agencies, NOSB National Organic Standards Board, Uncategorized | No Comments »
21
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 21, 2026) A very alarming link between agricultural glyphosate weed killer use and multidrug antibiotic resistance in nosocomial pathogens—those responsible for hospital-acquired infections—is revealed in a study by researchers from the University of Buenos Aires. Glyphosate is the most widely used pesticide in the world. Understanding the relationship between pesticide use, particularly glyphosate, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is of increasing urgency. Most soybeans grown around the world are genetically engineered to resist glyphosate in order for the crop to survive its heavy application to reduce weeds. Argentina is the third largest producer of soybeans after Brazil and the United States. In Argentina, estimated annual glyphosate use averaged about 36 tons between 2020 and 2023, according to the study authors. The authors emphasize that understanding the relationship between glyphosate and AMR is, like many others in the current agricultural system, a result of siloing—of assumptions and methods, not of crops. Clinical studies of AMR focus on studying specific pathogenic strains in laboratory cultures, while environmental studies use metagenomics—assessing all the microbial genes in an environment to determine which functions are available for microbes to use, without necessarily determining the presence of, or culturing, particular species. The authors advocate […]
Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, Antimicrobial, Glyphosate, Resistance, Uncategorized | No Comments »
20
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 20, 2026) Earth Day, this week on Wednesday, April 22, is a day of education and action. Earth Day embodies the power of people in their communities engaging to advance changes in policies and practices that meet the environmental and public health challenges of the day. This year, 2026, may be a turning point in which public outrage about the failure of the current political leadership in Congress and in the Trump administration to address the existential health, biodiversity, and climate crises is deemed politically unacceptable. Animating public concern are elected officials who call the climate crisis a hoax and dismiss the health and environmental threat associated with the weed killer glyphosate (Roundup)—as representative of the deregulation of pesticides associated with cancer and other deadly diseases. The words of the chair of the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee of Health and the Environment, Representative Paul Rogers (D-FL), express in the importance of grassroots action that elevated Earth Day. In a piece in the EPA Journal, Rep. Rogers wrote the following: “Historians of the environmental movement are likely to peg Earth Day 1970 as a key turning point in the American public’s consciousness about environmental problems. I believe […]
Posted in Earth Day, Farm Bill, Parks for a Sustainable Future, Uncategorized | No Comments »
17
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 17, 2026) A comparative analysis published in The Lancet Planetary Health highlights the pervasiveness of pesticide pollution in organic and non-organic farms in Latin America (Costa Rica) and Africa (Uganda). While pesticides were detected in nearly all participating farmers, there is a significant relationship between lower biomarker concentrations (often correlating with less contamination) in urine samples of organic farmers relative to non-organic farmers. The researchers also identified that older farmers held higher herbicide and insecticide concentrations. This research builds on the preponderance of scientific evidence and lived experiences of agricultural communities across the globe, including the U.S., which documents nontarget contamination of food systems through air, water, and soil. In this context, Beyond Pesticides continues to advocate for a transition to organic land management practices. Methodology and Results “We collected urine samples from 601 conventional and organic smallholder farmers in Zarcero County, Costa Rica, and Wakiso District, Uganda, on two occasions during the primary spraying season,” the authors write in introducing their methodology. The researchers tested urine samples of small-scale farmers in Costa Rica and Uganda for a mix of pesticides that include a fungicide, herbicide and insecticides—mancozeb (ETU), 2,4-D, glyphosate, pyrethroid metabolites (3-PBA, DCCA), diazinon (IMPy), […]
Posted in 2,4-D, Alternatives/Organics, Chlorpyrifos, Costa Rica, Diazinon, Glyphosate, International, mancozeb, Metabolites, Pesticide Drift, pyrethroids, Uganda, Uncategorized | No Comments »
15
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 15, 2026) Researchers in the Czech Republic tested indoor dust across 116 homes and found that 93 percent of homes across urban and rural areas contained residue of at least one current-use pesticide (CUP). The study also found in every household residues of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and pentachlorobenzene (PeCB), the breakdown products or byproducts of certain banned organochlorine pesticides (OCP). These compounds, as well as DDT metabolites DDE and DDD, were detected in more than half of the homes tested. Results in this study and previous research confirm that pesticides used outdoors find their way indoors, resulting in an exposure pattern that is not calculated when pesticides are registered and allowed on the market. The findings are published in Indoor Environments. These findings characterize the legacy of toxic pesticide exposure resulting from the proliferation of pesticides in the United States and around the world without a complete assessment of the chemicals’ residual activity and multigenerational adverse impacts on health. Based on the decades of peer-reviewed scientific literature on pesticide exposure and effects from across the globe, public health and environmental advocates warn that there is a continuation of this pattern of long-term effects associated with new pesticides linked […]
Posted in Acetochlor, Alachlor, Atrazine, Azinphos-methyl, Carbaryl, Carbendazim, Chemical Mixtures, Chemicals, Chlorpyrifos, Diazinon, Dimethoate, Diuron, Household Use, Indoor Air Quality, Malathion, metazachlor, Metolachlor, Parathion, Pendimethalin, Pesticide Drift, Pesticide Mixtures, pirimicarb, Propiconazole, simazine, tebuconazole, terbufos, Uncategorized | No Comments »
13
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 13, 2026) There are numerous provisions—a package of provisions—in the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee Farm Bill, voted out on March 5, that seriously undermine protections of health and the environment from pesticides, according to public health and environmental advocates. In response, Beyond Pesticides and allies are calling on U.S. Representatives and Senators to reject the Farm Bill as passed out of the House Agriculture Committee and, instead, pass a one-year extension of current law to protect health and the environment. The Committee Farm Bill contains provisions that advocates and members of Congress call “poison pills” because any one of them is so far-reaching that they make the entire measure unacceptable. The package of amendments covers critical areas of protection that have been established over decades of Congressional action. While groups have called for major reforms, Beyond Pesticides, in an action recently released, says, “Existing pesticide law forms the foundation on which improvements should be made, not backsliding to give the chemical industry free rein.” At stake, according to the group, are 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 […]
Posted in Agriculture, Farm Bill, Take Action, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
09
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 9, 2026) “The routine use of common pesticides in agriculture is no longer an ethically viable option for sustainable food production,” according to a new review in Reproduction & Fertility by livestock researcher Whitney Payne, Ph.D. candidate, and Kelsey R. Pool, PhD, of the School of Agriculture and Environment at The University of Western Australia. They base their position on the endocrine-disrupting qualities of many pesticides. The authors describe endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) as “an inescapable feature of modern life” and note that the “farming systems sit at the intersection of animal health, environmental integrity, and food production.” The review stresses the risks that EDCs pose to livestock, which are seriously understudied.  EDCs are introduced to cattle, sheep, chickens, goats, and other mammals via pesticides, plastics, and hormone treatments. Since humans consume livestock, the effects of EDCs on animals are not confined to animals themselves. Animal production systems illustrate how EDCs “can enter diverse food chains and ecosystems from a single source,” the authors write, being introduced by humans for one purpose and returning to affect livestock and humans indirectly through their long-term effects and breakdown products. While regulatory systems typically consider direct and indirect exposure pathways in […]
Posted in Agriculture, Atrazine, Carbamates, neonicotinoids, organophosphate, pyrethroids, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
08
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 8, 2026) Researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessed pesticide and PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) contamination in ten agricultural streams in the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys (Central Valley) in 2024, detecting 60 pesticides, synergists, and associated transformation products, including 12 fluorinated pesticides (Dithiopyr, Trifluralin, Fluridone, Oxyfluorfen, Penoxsulam, Flubendiamide, Bifenthrin, Flonicam, Indoxacarb, Cyhalothrin, Fluopyram, and Penthiopyrad) that meet the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) definition of qualifying as PFAS. It is alarming to learn that “the OECD fluorinated pesticides were generally detected more frequently and at higher concentrations” relative to the 48 other compounds. Relatedly, research finds products containing three of the detected pesticides (Methoxyfenozide, Imidacloprid, and Piperonyl Butoxide) associated with various PFAS, and according to the authors, there are a handful of active ingredients, such as the insecticide Methoxyfenozide and the fungicide Azoxystrobin, detected in 100 percent of collected samples. Their entire findings were published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters in March 2026. This research is critical to our understanding of the pervasiveness and ubiquity of multi-chemical pollution that impacts one of the most productive agricultural regions in the country. The regions encompassing these two valleys make up just one percent of total U.S. farmland, […]
Posted in Agriculture, California, contamination, Drift, Organic Foods Production Act OFPA, PFAS, Uncategorized, Water | No Comments »
06
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 6, 2026) While mosquito season is not yet here, Beyond Pesticides has launched an action to remind people and policy makers that mosquito management requires the enhancing of natural ecosystems, including bird populations, in communities and residential areas to reduce the population of these biting insects. The campaign draws on the science showing that an unbalanced ecosystem eliminates some of the most attractive and helpful allies in mosquito management—birds. Incorporating the awareness of healthy ecosystems in communities and yards into local and state policies and practices is a critical pest management tool. The action calls on Governors and Mayors to ensure ecological management of mosquitoes by eliminating the use of pesticides that threaten mosquito predators. An article, “The Ecological Impact of Pesticides on Non-Target Organisms in Agricultural Ecosystems” (2024), captures the importance of land management and habitat to protect a a balance of organisms, including bird populations. The authors, in the context of agroecosystems but generally applicable, write: “Pesticide exposure reduces ecosystem resilience, changes community dynamics, and accelerates population reductions in a variety of organisms, including predatory arthropods, bees, and butterflies. Furthermore, bird populations—which are essential to agroecosystems—face a variety of difficulties as a result of habitat degradation, food […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Biodiversity, Birds, Mosquitoes, Take Action, Uncategorized | No Comments »
02
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 2, 2026) In advance of opening U.S. Supreme Court arguments in Monsanto v. Durnell, Beyond Pesticides joined an amicus brief filed yesterday and led by Center for Food Safety (CFS), which challenges Bayer/Monsanto’s position that it should not be held liable for failing to warn consumers that the use of their pesticide products could cause cancer. The chemical company giant, along with the broader chemical and agribusiness industry, argues that they should be given immunity from litigation because their products are registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a claim that is disputed in detail in the amicus brief. Groups joining the brief include Consumer Federation of America, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP), Rural Coalition, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, Center for Biological Diversity, Beyond Pesticides, and Food & Water Watch. Click to access the 17 additional amicus briefs filed in support of the respondents: Stand for Health Freedom; The American Association for Justice and Public Justice; Children’s Health Defense; 36 State Legislators; The Local Government Legal Center, National Association of Counties, National League of Cities, and International Municipal Lawyers Association; Former EPA Officials and Environmental Protection Network; Philip Landrigan, MD, MSc, Lianne Sheppard, PhD, […]
Posted in Environmental Justice, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Failure to Warn, Preemption, U.S. Supreme Court, Uncategorized | No Comments »
31
Mar
(Beyond Pesticides, March 31, 2026) A statement decrying chemical company secrecy was released today by over 200 grassroots, health, farm, farmworker, environmental, and consumer groups, socially responsible corporations, over 340 citizens from 46 states, and international partners. The statement, released before the U.S. Supreme Court tomorrow reaches the final deadline for submission of amicus briefs in a case in which Bayer/Monsanto argues, with support of the Trump administration, that it should not be required to disclose on its product labels the potential hazards of its pesticide products. Oral arguments in the case will be heard on April 27, with a decision anticipated in June. Decades of law have upheld the legal argument that chemical companies are liable for their failure to warn users of their pesticides about the harm that they could cause. Bayer/Monsanto is attempting to reverse years of case law and billions of dollars in jury verdicts and future cases in which the company has been held liable for causing cancer but not warning product users. See statement, Stop Chemical Company Secrecy of Pesticide Product Hazards. Chemical Industry State Campaign The chemical industry last year launched a multi-pronged campaign to establish immunity from litigation by those who have […]
Posted in Agriculture, Bayer, Cancer, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Glyphosate, Herbicides, Label Claims, Litigation, Monsanto, non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Pesticide Regulation, U.S. Supreme Court, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
30
Mar
(Beyond Pesticides, March 30, 2026) Through today, organizations, institutions, and corporations can sign on to a public statement calling for chemical companies to continue to be held liable for harming but not warning people who use their pesticide products. The statement, joined by grassroots, health, farm, farmworker, environmental and consumer groups, and socially responsible corporations, will be released tomorrow—just as U.S. Supreme Court begins on April 1 considering Monsanto/Bayer’s claim that the company is not responsible for failing to warn those whose cancer was found by a jury trial to be caused by its weed killer glyphosate (RoundupTM). Groups can sign on to the statement by 5:00pm (Eastern) by clicking here. In the case before the U.S. Supreme Court case, Monsanto v. Durnell, Monsanto/Bayer is seeking to overturn over $10 billion in jury verdicts and settlements and stop future litigation on their failure to warn about the potential cancer effects of glyphosate/RoundupTM. If Monsanto/Bayer wins, chemical companies will be able to legally withhold information on their pesticide product hazards not required to be disclosed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Bayer/Monsanto wants to overturn decades of legal precedent, including a previous Supreme Court decision, which establishes EPA-required, minimum pesticide product label language, […]
Posted in Agriculture, Bayer, Cancer, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Farmworkers, Glyphosate, Herbicides, Labeling, Litigation, Monsanto, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »