Search Results
Thursday, July 18th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, July 18, 2024) A recent study in The Journal of Toxicological Sciences shows that a single dose of the neonicotinoid insecticide clothianidin (CLO) induces behavioral abnormalities, predominantly in female mice, throughout key stages of development. In testing mice at various ages, sex-specific changes were identified that highlight not only varied effects on males and females but also how pesticide exposure at a young age can cause lasting impacts throughout adulthood in mammalian species. The researchers, at the Laboratory of Animal Reproduction and Development at Tohoku University in Japan, âutilized murine [mouse] models to compare the sex-specific differences in behavioral effects following CLO exposure at different developmental stages. [They] orally administered CLO to male and female mice as a single high-dose solution (80 mg/kg) during the postnatal period (2-week-old), adolescence (6-week-old), or maturity (10-week-old), and subsequently evaluated higher brain function.â  As the authors remark, âMost studies on the neurotoxicity of CLO have targeted only males, with limited insights regarding the neurodevelopmental toxicity in females. There are significant sex differences in brain development due to hormonal, genetic, epigenetic, and other sex-specific factors. Moreover, there are also a number of sex-based differences in the prevalence of developmental disorders, such as […]
Posted in behavioral and cognitive effects, Brain Effects, Clothianidin, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Women's Health | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 17th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, July 17, 2024) National election results in the United Kingdom (UK) and France in recent weeks have shocked the world amidst concerns of a rising tide of right-wing authoritarianism on the eve of European Parliament election resultsâtrending toward what was initially perceived as a conservative majority earlier in June. With new leadership in some of the biggest economies and policy leaders across the Atlantic, environmental and health advocates are hopeful that this will signal a new momentum to advance the mission of transitioning to a fully organic land management and food system that replaces the status quo reliant on toxic petrochemical-based pesticides and fertilizers that exacerbate the climate crisis, biodiversity collapse, and public health fragility. Citizens of the United Kingdom overwhelmingly voted for the center-left Labour Party, which won an unprecedented margin of 291 seats, winning 412 seats out of the 650 total seats up for grabs. The Conservative Party won just 121 seats, a clear rejection of their nearly fifteen-year leadership position in UK politics. UK-based advocates welcome the news given the Labour Party platform to âban neonicotinoid pesticides imidacloprid, clothianidin, and thiamethoxam due to their impact on bees,â according to reporting by Politico. Neonicotinoids have long […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, International, Lawns/Landscapes, neonicotinoids, Pesticide Regulation, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Thursday, July 11th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, July 11, 2024) Can the health of pollinator hives serve as a nature-based indicator for pesticide residue drift? Researchers in a study published in Science of the Total Environment in June find this to be the case. Through the BeeNet Project, led by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Forestry (MAFSF), researchers detected the presence of 63 different pesticide residues in hives across northern Italy. Of these residues, 15 are not approved for use under European Union (EU) law. Environmental advocates observe the mounting scientific literature on pollinator decline, in part due to the inadequate regulation of toxic petrochemical-based pesticides, as a call to action to push forward land management, agricultural, and climate policy that aligns with organic principles centering on soil health, biodiversity, public health, worker protections, and economic security. Methodology The study is cowritten by a cohort of ten researchers working in the Research Center for Agriculture and Environment in Bologna, Italyâa research institution within the Council for Agricultural Research and Agricultural Economics Analysis (CREA) at MAFSF. Supported by the BeeNet Project (funded by Italian National Fund), BeeNet is a national monitoring project that tracks the health of honey bee and wild bee populations […]
Posted in Biodiversity, Chemicals, Pesticide Mixtures, Pesticide Residues, Pollinators, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 10th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, July 10, 2024) An article last month in Entomology Today, a publication of the Entomological Society of America, highlights the important findings of a study published earlier this year in the Journal of Insect Science. While there has been debate on whether neonicotinoid (neonic) insecticides or Varroa mites (Varroa destructor) are more detrimental to the survival of bees, evidence suggests that neonicotinoids are not only harmful individually but can increase vulnerability to parasitism from mites in western honey bees (Apis mellifera). The Entomology Today article reads: âSome researchers and organizations have pointed to neonics as directly harming bees. Others have pointed to other issues, like Varroa mite infestation, as more hazardous to honey bee populations.â There is scientific evidence supporting each claim, as both cause stress to bee species that can lead to population decline. The study in the Journal of Science, however, is âthe first experimental field demonstration of how neonicotinoid exposure can increase V. destructor populations in honey bees and also demonstrates that colony genetic diversity cannot mitigate the effects of neonicotinoid pesticides.” As the article states, âThe researchers were not looking for impacts on Varroa mites at first. Instead, they were looking to understand how […]
Posted in Beneficials, Clothianidin, Increased Vulnerability to Diseases from Chemical Exposure, Pollinators, synergistic effects, Thiamethoxam, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 9th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, July 9, 2024) Last month, California cannabis regulators recalled a pesticide-tainted vape, one of the contaminated products identified in a Los Angeles Times investigation. The report reveals that the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) has for months been aware of the presence of dangerous chemicals in legal cannabis sold to the public. Conducted by Los Angeles Times and WeedWeek, a cannabis industry newsletter, the investigation has uncovered alarming levels of the insecticide chlorfenapyr in legal cannabis products sold in state dispensaries. According to an article via the National Institutes of Health, âAlthough [chlorfenapyr] has been identified as a moderately toxic pesticide by the World Health Organization (WHO), the mortality rate of poisoned patients is extremely high. There is no specific antidote for chlorfenapyr poisoning.â The chemical is associated with adverse liver effects and is toxic to bees, birds, and aquatic organisms. Despite claims that the state’s cannabis is safe and regulated, many popular brands of vapes and pre-rolled joints were found to contain dangerous pesticides at levels exceeding state limits and federal standards for tobacco. This investigation comes on the heels of the discovery of large amounts of illegal Chinese pesticides at cannabis grow operations around the state. […]
Posted in Bifenthrin, California, Cannabis, chlorfenapyr, Developmental Disorders, DNA Damage, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Fungicides, Herbicides, Pesticide Drift, pymetrozine, Reproductive Health, spider mites, trifloxystrobin, Uncategorized, Washington | No Comments »
Monday, July 8th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, July 8, 2024) Please submit comments by Wednesday, July 31, 2024. Acephate, an insecticide and member of the highly toxic organophosphate (OP) family, is so toxic that EPA is proposing to ban all uses except the systemic injection into trees. A comment period is open, and EPA is accepting comments through Wednesday, July 31, after extending the earlier July deadline. With this remaining use, EPA is still not recognizing that systemic neonicotinoid pesticides can cause serious environmental harm to the ecosystem through indiscriminate poisoning of organisms. >> Submit a comment on acephate and tell EPA that no pesticide should be allowed to be used if the crop can be produced organically. EPA proposes to cancel all uses of acephate other than tree injection to eliminate all risks of concern it has identified that exceed its level of concern for dietary/drinking water risk, residential and occupational risks, and risks to non-target organisms. As Beyond Pesticides points out, although the tree injection method does not pose excessive dietary or aggregate health risk and does not pose any untoward occupational or post-application human health risks of concern, there are significant ecological risks posed that the agency has neglected. Rather than assessing the ecological risks of tree […]
Posted in Acephate, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Take Action, Uncategorized | 6 Comments »
Friday, June 28th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, July 28, 2024) Most people donât like bugs, but the fact is that insects form the foundation of human flourishing, both for their ecosystems services, like pollination of food crops, and for their aesthetic joys. But insect populations globally are declining two to four percent a year, with total losses over 20 years of 30-50 percent, according to a new study of the interacting effects of pesticides, climate, and land use changes on insectsâ status in the Midwest. Teasing out the relative influence of these stressors has been a major obstacle in determining the causes of the declines and ways to mitigate them. The icon of insect beauty in the U.S. is the monarch butterfly, whose vibrant coloring, elegant form, and spectacular migrations inspire everyone. Beyond Pesticides has covered the distressing decline of these creatures, most recently in the June 24 Daily News. Monarchs prefer milkweed plants, but also visit many other flowers. Milkweed often grows along the margins of fields, so monarchs are widely exposed to pesticides and habitat disturbances associated with agriculture. The new study was published in PLoS One by a team of scientists from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Michigan State University, […]
Posted in Biodiversity, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), neonicotinoids, Pollinators, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Monday, June 24th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, June 24, 2024) National Pollinator Week ended last week, but the crisis associated with pollinator decline and biodiversity collapse continues. If there were not enough data to prove that regulators are woefully behind the curve in protecting pollinators, yet another study was published during Pollinator Week that reminded regulators, elected officials, farmers, gardeners, all eaters, and lovers of nature that federal, state, and local environmental laws in place have been an abject and unconscionable failure in protecting the biodiversity that supports all life. The study, âInsecticides, more than herbicides, land use, and climate, are associated with declines in butterfly species richness and abundance in the American Midwest,â published in PLOS ONE, cries out as a further warning that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencyâs (EPA) âmitigation measures,â which tinker with limited pesticide restrictions, represent a catastrophic disregard for the scientifically documented facts, according to environmental advocates. Daily News will cover this study in more detail in a later piece, however, the abstract of the journal piece is worth reprinting here in reflecting on Pollinator Week: âMounting evidence shows overall insect abundances are in decline globally. Habitat loss, climate change, and pesticides have all been implicated, but their relative effects […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Biodiversity, Children, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), neonicotinoids, Pollinators, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, June 21st, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, June 21, 2024) A recent review of the scientific literature, published in Science of The Total Environment, analyzes multiple species of bees on a molecular level to better understand the poisoning mechanisms that could, as the authors see it, inform chemical risk assessments with more precision. The mechanisms âimplicated in the tolerance of bees to specific pesticides, and thus as determinants of insecticide sensitivity, … include metabolic detoxification, insecticide target proteins, the insect cuticle and bee gut microbiota,â the authors write. This review references more than 90 studies performed over the last 30+ years, with most being published in the last 5-10 years, as the understanding and importance of molecular determinants of bee sensitivity has emerged. Pollinators, such as bees, provide crucial ecosystem services by pollinating both wild plants and essential crops. The exposure these insects are subjected to threatens their existence, which occurs through pesticide contamination that can lead to impacts on growth and development or even colony collapse. Â Â âWhile bees have only been exposed to human-made pesticides over the recent past (last 80 years) they have co-evolved with plants and fungi which produce a range of xenobiotics, including plant allelochemicals and mycotoxins,â the authors state. […]
Posted in acetamiprid, chemical sensitivity, Ecosystem Services, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), fluvalinate, Imidacloprid, Pollinators, thiacloprid | No Comments »
Thursday, June 20th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, June 18, 2024) As part of its update to the proposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Endangered Species Act (ESA) Workplan, the agency held a public webinar on June 18, 2024, which provided an overview of the agencyâs âMitigation Menu Websiteâ for âreducing pesticide exposure to nontarget species from agricultural crop uses.â [Check back to see webinar when posted by EPA.] After court decisions forced EPA to develop a strategy to meet its statutory responsibility to protect endangered species from pesticide use, the agency recognized that it is, in its own words, âunable to keep paceâ with its legal obligations. Despite this acknowledgement, the agency said it would âprovide flexibility to growers to choose mitigations that work best for their situation.â In this spirit, a range of people, including grower groups, gathered earlier in the year for a series of workshops in the Pacific Northwest to discuss possible mitigation measures. According to a report written by commercial beekeeper Steve Ellis (more background), concrete decisions were not reached at the workshops as participants recognized the complexities in crafting pesticide product label restrictions to protect endangered species. Mr. Ellis concluded: âIf itâs so complex that itâs impossible, then no one […]
Posted in Agriculture, Endangered Species Act (ESA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Herbicides, Pesticide Regulation, Uncategorized, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
Monday, June 17th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, June 17, 2024) Every year, Beyond Pesticides announces National Pollinator Weekâthis year beginning today, June 17âto remind eaters of food, gardeners, farmers, communities (including park districts to school districts), civic organizations, responsible corporations, policy makers, and legislators that there are actions that can be taken that are transformative. All the opportunities for action to protect pollinators, and the ecosystems that are critical to their survival, can collectively be transformational in eliminating toxic pesticides that are major contributors to the collapse of biodiversity. This is why Beyond Pesticides starts most discussions and strategic actions for meaningful pollinator and biodiversity protection with the transition to practicing and supporting organic. In launching National Pollinator Week, Beyond Pesticides makes suggestions for individual actions to increase efforts to think and act holistically to protect the environment that supports pollinators. The impact that people have starts with grocery store purchases and the management of gardens, parks, playing fields, and pubic lands. The introduction of pesticides into our food supply and our managed lands has contributed to a downward spiral that is unsustainable. The good news is that it is now proven that we do not need toxic pesticides to grow food productively and profitably […]
Posted in Announcements, Biodiversity, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Events, Holidays, Pollinators, Take Action, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, June 14th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, June 14, 2024) The influence of the chemical industry over public policy and regulation, especially in agriculture, is glaringly obvious and has little popular support, yet no one can seem to do anything about it. Numerous analyses have detailed the ways this influence is appliedâthrough lobbying and political donations including dark money; industry experts named to regulatory agency scientific advisory boards; and the massive public relations machines that create and sustain public uncertainty using the tobacco industry playbook revealed by Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway in their 2010 book Merchants of Doubt. A more insidious tendril of industry influence is explained in U.S. Right to Knowâs (USRTK) report, released this month, on pesticide manufacturersâ infiltration of the Entomological Society of America (ESA). The report, âAnatomy of a science meeting: How controversial pesticide research all but vanished from a major conference,â examines the ESAâs 2023 annual meetingâits program, sponsorships, presentations, panelists, poster sessions, meet-and-greets, budget, revenue sources, and other aspects of the event. What is revealed is a systematic and comprehensive industry presence throughout the society and its meeting. A direct consequence is the near-elimination of any scientific presentations addressing the effects of neonicotinoid pesticides on insects, particularly bees. […]
Posted in Agriculture, BASF, Bayer, Chem-China, Corteva, Dow Chemical, DuPont, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), FMC, neonicotinoids, Pollinators, Sulfoxaflor, Syngenta, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Thursday, June 13th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, June 13, 2024) A study published in Conservation Letters, a journal of the Society for Conservation Biology, exposes critical shortcomings in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ecological risk assessment (ERA) process for modeling the risks that pesticides pose to bees and other pollinators. For the study, “Risk assessments underestimate threat of pesticides to wild bees,” researchers conducted a meta-analysis of toxicity data in EPA’s ECOTOX knowledgebase (ECOTOX), an EPA-hosted, publicly available resource with information on adverse effects of single chemical stressors to certain aquatic and terrestrial species. The meta-analysis found that the agency’s approach, which relies heavily on honey bee data from controlled laboratory studies, drastically underestimates the real-world threats from neonicotinoid insecticides (and likely other pesticides) to native bees and other pollinators. The study âchallenges the reliability of surrogate species as predictors when extrapolating pesticide toxicity data to wild pollinators and recommends solutions to address the (a)biotic interactions occurring in nature that make such extrapolations unreliable in the ERA process.â Beyond Pesticides executive director Jay Feldman remarked, “EPA’s ecological risk assessment process is fundamentally flawed and puts thousands of bee species at risk of pesticide-caused population declines and extinctions.” Mr. Feldman continued, âThis underscores the urgent […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Biodiversity, Drift, Ecosystem Services, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Habitat Protection, Increased Vulnerability to Diseases from Chemical Exposure, neonicotinoids, Parks for a Sustainable Future, Pesticide Mixtures, Pesticide Regulation, Pollinators, synergistic effects | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 29th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, May 29, 2024) A study from the Academy of Biology and Biotechnologies and the Federal Rostov Agricultural Research Centre adds to the body of science linking pesticide use with negative impacts on soil health and bacterial communities. Antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs), considered a class of pollutants, are found in certain types of bacteria and can spread through the environment and subsequently to humans and animals. This study, performed by researchers and soil experts, found an increase in specific bacterial families that host ARGs with exposure to pesticides. The study aims to identify the role of agricultural soils in ARG transfer and to assess the presence and prevalence of bacterial families with and without exposure to fertilizers and pesticides. Since soil serves as a habitat for a wide range of bacteria, including many that are resistant to antibiotics, analyzing the organisms within soil samples is an indicator of overall environmental health. Agricultural soils are essential in food production, and as this study states, â[I]ntensive exploitation of such soils implies the widespread use of various chemical plant protection products (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides) and mineral fertilizers, which contribute to pollution and a decrease in soil quality.â  Within this field study, there is […]
Posted in Agriculture, Antibiotic Resistance, Antimicrobial, Fertilizer, Litigation, Mutagenesis, Resistance, soil health, Soil microbiome | No Comments »
Friday, May 24th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, May 24, 2024) Even allegedly âlow-toxicityâ pesticides such as flupyradifurone (insecticide), azoxystrobin, and difenoconazole (fungicides) pose adverse health effects to solitary ground-nesting squash bees (Xenoglossa pruinose), according to a study published in Biological Sciences. Fungicide exposure led to less pollen collected per flower, while exposure to flupyradifurone (FPF) produced larger offspring (which make it more challenging for them to fly). Simultaneous exposure to the three pesticides âinduced hyperactivity in female squash bees relative to both the control and single pesticide exposure, and reduced the number of emerging offspring per nest compared to individual pesticide treatments.â With United Nations Food and Agriculture Organizations-sponsored World Bee Day earlier this week, now more than ever advocates are calling for the elimination of toxic insecticide classes, such as neonicotinoids and butanolides, and their wholesale replacement with organic land management principles. This study was written by Sabrina Rondeau, PhD, postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Biology at the University of Ottawa, and Nigel E. Raine, PhD, professor at University of Guelphâs School of Environmental Science. Published on March 20, 2024, the researchers delve into the individual and co-exposure impacts of two fungicides and one insecticide, which is important, given the documented synergistic effects […]
Posted in Azoxystrobin, Chemical Mixtures, difenoconazole, flupyradifurone, Fungicides, neonicotinoids, Pollinators, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 15th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, May 15, 2024) A study published recently in the journal Environmental Research finds a significant correlation between exposure to certain pesticides and an elevated risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a chronic autoimmune condition of the gastrointestinal tract. The study, adding to the body of science on this subject, evaluates self-reported data from licensed pesticide applicators and their spouses exposed to pesticides for over 20 years. In addition, while some of the chemicals found to be most closely associated with incidents of IBD have been banned from use, they are âforeverâ chemicals that persist in the environment for generations. These findings demonstrate once again the failings of the current regulatory process to identify hazards before they are put into the environment. The study found evidence that exposure to several organochlorine insecticides (dieldrin, DDT, and toxaphene), as well as organophosphate insecticides (parathion, terbufos, and phorate) and herbicides (2,4,5-T, 2,4,5-TP, and metolachlor), is associated with elevated IBD risk. IBD is a generic term for diseases that result in chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, such as Crohnâs disease and ulcerative colitis. It is estimated that 6.8 million patients globally suffered from IBD in 2017. IBD may result from an imbalance […]
Posted in Agriculture, Cancer, Carbamates, Cardiovascular Disease, Chemical Mixtures, Chemicals, DDT, Dieldrin, Disease/Health Effects, Environmental Justice, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Farmworkers, Glyphosate, Gut Dysbiosis, Herbicides, Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Iowa, Lindane, Liver Damage, metabolic syndrome, Metolachlor, Microbiata, Microbiome, North Carolina, organochlorines, organophosphate, Parathion, Phorate, soil health, synergistic effects, terbufos, toxaphene, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Monday, May 6th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, May 6, 2024) The pattern of failure to protect the public from pesticides is again brought to public attention by an analysis by Consumer Reports (CR) that effectively updates its previous report released in 2020. The report and its earlier iteration identify deep structural weaknesses with the institutions charged with protecting the publicâs health and safety. The health risks outlined by CR in 2020 and related to ongoing pesticide exposure, even at low levels, include cardiovascular diseases, cancers, reproductive dysfunction, respiratory problems (e.g., asthma, bronchitis), neurological impacts (e.g., developmental effects and dementia/Alzheimerâs), and endocrine dysfunction, among others. Previously, the magazine reported, âCR’s experts say the government hasnât upheld its responsibility to protect consumers [and that] the research used to set [pesticide residue] tolerances is imperfect, and theyâre often too high.â CR has cited the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is primarily responsible for pesticide regulation, for multiple inadequacies. According to the latest CR analysis, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Pesticide Data Program (PDP) Annual Summary has once again failed to accurately portray the safety of some of the most commonly sold fruits and vegetables in the United States. CR reviewed seven years of PDP data, finding that 20% […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Carbamates, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), organophosphate, Pesticide Residues, Uncategorized, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) | No Comments »
Friday, April 26th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, April 26, 2024) Researchers build on existing research when assessing the relationship between long-term exposure to organophosphorus pesticidesâwidely used in food production and homes and gardensâand the human gut microbiome. In a new study published in Environmental Health, an interdisciplinary research team from University of California, Los Angeles determined, âthat exposure to [organophosphorus pesticides] is associated with changes in the abundance of several bacterial groups and differential functional capacity in metabolic pathways supported by the human gut microbiome.â The study draws upon data from a âParkinsonâs, Environment and Gene study (PEG)â in which 190 participants were asked to submit fecal samples and answer interview questions. â[The study] was initially designed to investigate the etiology of Parkinsonâs disease (PD) and participants were recruited in two study waves [âover the full 10-year exposure windowâ]: 2001â2007 and 2012â2017. At baseline, [Parkinsonâs disease] patients were diagnosed within the past 5 years and randomly selected community controls were also recruited,â the research team shares in their Methodology section. âSince 2017, we invited previous study participants who could be contacted to enroll in a pilot study of the gut microbiome. In addition, we invited a household or community member of [Parkinsonâs] patients to participate.â […]
Posted in Biomonitoring, Chemicals, contamination, Disease/Health Effects, Microbiata, Microbiome, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, April 12th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, April 12, 2024) In honor of Earth Month, Natural GrocersÂŽ is partnering with Beyond Pesticides for its seventh annual Ladybug LoveSM campaign. Natural Grocers, a longtime leader of the organic movement through national advocacy efforts and rigorous product standards, encourages its communities to pledge to protect beneficial insects and further Beyond Pesticides’ critical mission of converting local parks and playing fields to organic landscape management practices.  Natural Grocers’ annual Earth Month fundraising efforts benefit the nonprofit organization, Beyond Pesticides and its Parks for a Sustainable Future program. Cleaner air, water, and land make for a healthier food supply â a principle Natural Grocers has championed since 1955. Click here to see the campaign from last year. April shoppers at Natural Grocers’ 168 stores are also invited to donate to Beyond Pesticides at checkout. Ladybug Love also features in-store promotions! LADYBUG LOVE & BEYOND PESTICIDES Natural Grocers’ Ladybug Love campaign aims to bring awareness to the precious insects that play a crucial role in the stability of our food supply and regenerative farming. The annual Earth Month fundraising efforts benefit Beyond Pesticides and its Parks for a Sustainable Future program, designed to assist communities in transitioning away from pesticide use at local parks […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Announcements, Biodiversity, Events, Natural Grocers, Parks, Parks for a Sustainable Future, Pollinators, Seasonal, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Thursday, April 11th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, April 11, 2024) Scientists are moving forward in testing an agroecological method of âpush-pullâ pest management (reducing the attractiveness of the target organism and luring pest insects towards a trap) to fight the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) in Florida orange groves, as it spreads a plant disease known as the pathogenic bacteria huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening, which is deadly to citrus trees. The disease is spread by the pathogenic bacteria Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). Â The chemical-intensive, or conventional, citrus industry is under intense pressure to find alternatives, as synthetic antibiotic use for this purpose has been successfully challenged in court. ACP is the carrier, or vector, for HLB, spreading it through the citrus groves and killing the trees. The chemical-intensive industry has focused on using antibiotics, which the environmental and public health community has rejected because of serious medical concerns associated with life-threatening bacterial resistance to antibiotics used to protect humans. A federal district court decision in December 2023 found illegal the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencyâs (EPA) decision to register the antibiotic streptomycin in Florida citrus without adequate review of its impact on endangered species. The streptomycin lawsuit, filed in 2021 by a coalition of […]
Posted in Agriculture, Aldicarb, Alternatives/Organics, Antibiotic, Antibiotic Resistance, Aphids, Biological Control, California, Chlorpyrifos, citrus greening--Huanglongbing (HLB), Ecosystem Services, Endocrine Disruption, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Florida, Herbicides, Imidacloprid, Integrated and Organic Pest Management, IQ Loss, Learning Disabilities, Liver Damage, National Organic Standards Board/National Organic Program, neonicotinoids, NOSB National Organic Standards Board, Organic Foods Production Act OFPA, Pests, Reproductive Health, streptomycin, Thyroid Disease, Uncategorized, Uncle Matt's Organic, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 10th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, April 10, 2024) Researchers in a 2024 Chemosphere study find synergistic relationships in certain chemical mixtures, particularly heptachlor and triallate and trifluralin and lindane at lower concentrations, respectively. âInvestigators should consider additional binary data for acute toxicity and potential chronic health impacts on these mixture…which showed synergism at low levels,â the researchers conclude. âAccording to a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) assessment, more than 50 pesticides are detected in blood or urine samples from the US population,â Researchers point to a cause for concern. The findings come as no surprise to advocates who have urged an assessment of the potential synergistic impacts of pesticide mixtures in the regulation of pesticides. Researchers âused the exposure data from a complex operating site with legacy pesticide pollution to evaluate if Inhalation of pesticide mixtures released from such contaminated sites could pose a risk to human health, The component-based risk assessment approaches that rely on additivity can predict the actual risk of pesticides in a mixture, and The legacy organochlorine pesticides banned many years ago interact with registered and supposedly safe herbicides in a mixture.â The study site is âa pesticide packaging and handling facilityâ contaminated with the following pesticides (âhistorical and […]
Posted in 2,4-D, Chemical Mixtures, contamination, Heptachlor, Lindane, Trifluralin, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 20th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, March 20, 2024) A report by CBAN unpacks the ecosystem and wildlife health impacts of genetically engineered (GE) corn in the context of Mexicoâs 2023 decision to stop its importation into the country. The phase out of genetically modified (GM) corn imports into Mexico was immediately challenged by the U.S. and Canadian governments as a trade violation under the 2020 U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as the primary vehicle for North American trade policy. In August 2023, the U.S. Trade Representative set up a dispute settlement panel under USMCA to stop Mexico from going forward with its ban. There has been no public update from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative as of this writing. The CBAN report highlights the scientific rationale underpinning Mexicoâs decision to âsafeguard the integrity of native corn from GM contamination and to protect human healthâ with this ban. In 2020, Mexico announced a four-year phase-out of the weed killer glyphosate, which along with other petrochemical herbicides is integral to GM corn production. When Mexicoâs Minister of the Environment announced the phase-out, he said it is part of an effort to transform the countryâs food system […]
Posted in Contamination, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Genetic Engineering, International, Pesticide Drift, Pollinators, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, March 13th, 2024
(Beyond Pesticides, March 13, 2024) A comprehensive study released in Journal of Cleaner Production in August 2023 identifies the potential for organic agriculture to mitigate the impacts of agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the fight to address the climate crisis. In âThe spatial distribution of agricultural emissions in the United States: The role of organic farming in mitigating climate change,â the authors determine that âa one percent increase in total farmland results in a 0.13 percent increase in GHG emissions, while a one percent increase in organic cropland and pasture leads to a decrease in emissions by about 0.06 percent and 0.007 percent, respectively.â This descriptive study affirms the urgency of Beyond Pesticidesâ mission to ban toxic petrochemical pesticides by 2032, given the projected adverse impacts that conventional agricultural dependence on these toxic pesticides will continue to have on people, wildlife, and ecosystems. The study refers to various studies focused on a comparative analysis of conventional to organic farming on energy use, greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe), nutrient leaching, soil quality, and biodiversity. The consensus is that organic farming is more sustainable than conventional agriculture. For example, â[S]everal studies comparing conventional to organic agriculture found that the latter used 10%â70% […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Biodiversity, Climate Change, State/Local, Synthetic Fertilizer, Uncategorized | No Comments »