Archive for the 'Announcements' Category
22
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 22, 2024) Today, on Earth Day, the future of the planet and the health of all its inhabitants come into focus from numerous human and ecosystem health perspectives, with particular concern for the health of the next generationâas childhood cancer continues to be a leading cause of death from disease among children. Many studies demonstrate an association between environmental or occupational pesticide exposure and the risk of childhood cancer in offspring. Taking Action in Your Community: On Earth Day, Beyond Pesticides invites communities to join together in its nationwide campaign to convert parks to organic land management practices through the Parks for a Sustainable Future program. Through this program, Beyond Pesticides works with park managers, bringing hands-on horticultural support to eliminate petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers and instead nurture soil organisms to cycle nutrients naturally while creating resilient landscapes that resist weeds, insects, and disease. This program outlines the steps to become a parks advocate and how Beyond Pesticides works with communities committed to safe parks and playing fields for communities, children, and pets. One major impetus for the Parks program are the many studies that find prenatal and early-life exposure to environmental toxicants increases disease susceptibility. For decades, studies have […]
Posted in Cancer, Children, Congress, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Parks for a Sustainable Future, Take Action, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
17
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 17, 2024) With headlines drawing public attention to the contamination of drinking water after years of federal government neglect, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on April 10 new standards to reduce public exposure to PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as âforever chemicalsâ because of their persistence. EPA has finalized a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six PFAS, including PFOA and PFOS, which EPA has recognized have no safe level of exposure, regulating new chemicals for the first time since the 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). PFAS persistence and bioaccumulation in humans, wildlife, and the environment is due to the strength of a resulting fluorineâcarbon atom bond. PFAS contamination of drinking water, surface and groundwater, waterways, soils, and the food supplyâamong other resourcesâis ubiquitous worldwide. PFAS is used in everyday products, including cookware, clothes, carpets, as an anti-sticking and anti-stain agent, in plastics, machinery, and as a pesticide. The action was welcomed by environmentalists and public health advocates as an important step but left many concerned that any level of exposure to these chemicals is unacceptable and critical of EPAâs ongoing failure to act despite years […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Announcements, Arkansas, Biosolids, Birth defects, Brain Effects, California, Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, Chemicals, Connecticut, contamination, Developmental Disorders, Disease/Health Effects, Drinking Water, Endocrine Disruption, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Farmworkers, Fertilizer, Groundwater, Hawaii, Herbicides, Illinois, Infertility, Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Inhance Technologies, Lawns/Landscapes, Liver Damage, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Metabolic Disorders, metabolic syndrome, metabolic syndrome, Michigan, Minnesota, Motor Development Effects, Motor neuron disease, National Organic Standards Board/National Organic Program, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, NOSB National Organic Standards Board, Obesity, Ohio, Oregon, Parks for a Sustainable Future, Pennsylvania, Pesticide Mixtures, Pesticide Regulation, PFAS, Plastic, Reproductive Health, Rhode Island, Sewage Sludge, soil health, Synthetic Fertilizer, Take Action, Thyroid Disease, U.S. Geological Survey, Uncategorized, Vermont, Washington, Water, Water Regulation, Wisconsin | No Comments »
12
Apr
(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 »
11
Apr
(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 »
09
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 9, 2024) The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in an opinion authored by Circuit Judge Cory T. Wilson, has vacated an action by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that had ordered the Texas-based manufacturer Inhance Technologies, L.L.C. to stop producing plastic containers that leach toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into pesticides, household cleaners, condiments, and additional products. EPA has taken action after the agency determined that the PFAS created during the fluorination process âare highly toxic and present unreasonable risks that cannot be prevented other than through prohibition of manufacture.â While the court is not challenging EPAâs authority to determine the hazards associated with PFAS exposure to be unacceptable, on a technicality, it is finding that the agency used the wrong section of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Section 5, which the court says is focused on new uses. According to the Court, “The EPA is just not allowed to skirt the framework set by Congress by arbitrarily deeming Inhanceâs decades-old fluorination process a âsignificant new use,â even though EPAâs awareness of the PFAS contamination was ânewâ to the agency and not disclosed by the manufacturer. Even if EPA were […]
Posted in Cancer, Drinking Water, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Inhance Technologies, Liver Damage, National Organic Standards Board/National Organic Program, Nervous System Effects, NOSB National Organic Standards Board, Organic Foods Production Act OFPA, PFAS, Plastic, Regenerative, Respiratory Diseases, Thyroid Disease, Uncategorized, Water | No Comments »
02
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 2, 2024) There is a nascent capital investment effort in the transition to certified organic agriculture beginning to take hold across the U.S., something advocates say is critically needed to meet the current and escalating existential health threats, biodiversity decline, and climate emergency. Mad Agriculture has received early commitments from the Rockefeller Foundation, Builders Vision, and nearly a dozen other investors to contribute to the $50 million Perennial Fund II (PFII), to advance the growth of âregenerative organicâ agriculture. Forbes is reporting that PFIIâs primary objective is to jumpstart the organic land transition, given that this slice of U.S. agriculture makes up less than one percent of total farmland in the country relative to the European Unionâs nearly 10 percent of total farmland. âWe commend the work of Mad Agriculture in harnessing the spirit of organic agriculture and mobilizing the private sector to invest in farmers who engage in regenerative organic agricultural practices,â said Max Sano, organic program associate at Beyond Pesticides. In Rockefeller Foundationâs press release announcing their early commitment, Mad Capital co-founder Brandon Welch spoke on their vision: âWe are aiming to build a bridge between two distant worlds that need one another to transition […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Corporations, General Mills, Glyphosate, Regenerative, soil health, Uncategorized, US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Wal-Mart | No Comments »
01
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 1, 2024) Comments are due 11:59 pm EDT, Wednesday, April 3. For the public comment periodâdeadline Wednesday, April 3âin the lead up to the National Organic Standard Board (NOSB) meeting, advocates have identified the following priority issues: Getting plastics our of organic; Removing endocrine disrupting nonylphenols (NPs) and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) iodine from dairy production and replace with available alternatives; and Continuing to improve the science supporting ongoing decisions of the NOSB. (See below for details and opportunity to submit comments on these with one click!) Previously, Beyond Pesticides has reported on three additional priority issues, including; Reject the petition to allow unspecified âcompostable materialsâ in compost allowed in organic production; Eliminate nonorganic ingredients in processed organic foods as a part of the Boardâs sunset review of allowed materials; and Ensure that so-called âinertâ ingredients in the products used in organic production meet the criteria in OFPA with an NOSB assessment. (Please see the prior action on these issues and submit comments, if not done previously.) Beyond Pesticides asks the public to join in commenting on priority issues that protect health and the environment as part of the upcoming NOSB meeting. The NOSB is receiving written comments from the […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Take Action, Uncategorized, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) | 1 Comment »
27
Mar
(Beyond Pesticides, March 27, 2024) A preliminary experiment conducted by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) reveals concerning levels of toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on the skin of soccer players and coaches after playing on artificial turf fields. The Washington Post reported on March 12 on the PEER test results, which found PFAS levels increased on the skin in three out of four participants following soccer matches on artificial turf. In contrast, no similar increase was observed after games on natural grass fields. The presence of PFAS is alarming due to their association with several serious health issues, including cancer, birth defects, and developmental and immune deficiencies, among others. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) writes that PFAS exposure risks are particularly concerning for young children, who are more susceptible due to their developing bodies and at risk for higher levels of exposure than adults. Known as “forever chemicals” for their persistence in the environment, PFAS continue to accumulate in the human body, posing long-term health risks. Kyla Bennett, PhD, science policy director at PEER and a former scientist and lawyer with EPA, emphasized the need for further research. “Although this study is preliminary, it highlights the potential […]
Posted in California, Disease/Health Effects, Disinfectants & Sanitizers, Drinking Water, Ecosystem Services, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Fertilizer, Groundwater, Herbicides, Integrated and Organic Pest Management, Parks, Parks for a Sustainable Future, Preemption, soil health, Synthetic Turf, Uncategorized | No Comments »
26
Mar
(Beyond Pesticides, March 26, 2024) The authors of a case study in Canale DâAiedda, Taranto, Italy, published in Scientific Reports, conclude that, â[T]he results of monitoring and modeling activities revealed a chronic risk associated with the presence of Cu [copper] from November to April in several river reaches and acute risk associated to the presence of glyphosate in several reaches mainly in the wet season.â Â According to the authors, âThe most important factor influencing the chronic risk for Cu were the combination of two factors: the high surface runoff and the Cu applications. The most important factor influencing the glyphosate peaks of concentration is the streamflow.â The authors of the study measure the flow of pesticide concentrations through the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT). The ecotoxicological data was collected at two stations in Germany that flow into Italy, within the Canale dâAiedda basin. The streamflow was monitored between August 2017 and December 2019. Out of hundreds of pesticides and six metabolities investigated in this study, âonly traces of copper and glyphosate were found.â The authors continue, âThe banks and the bed of the river system are almost all covered by concrete. The hydrological regime is natural and intermittent in […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, copper sulfate, Drift, Glyphosate, Organic Foods Production Act OFPA, Pesticide Drift, Uncategorized, Water, Water Regulation | No Comments »
25
Mar
(Beyond Pesticides, March 25, 2024) Because of their widespread infiltration into the environment and the bodies of all organisms, including humans, plastics contamination requires a holistic strategy to protect lifeâ with consideration given to practices and chemical use that reduce or eliminate harm. Pesticides and other toxic chemicals are adsorbed (adhered) to microplastics, resulting in bioaccumulation and widespread contamination. This adds to the complexity of the problem, which is largely ignored by federal regulatory agencies. While most environmental policies attempt to clean up or mitigate health threats, new data reinforces the need to stop the pipeline of hazardous chemicals, wherever possible. With new data on the harm associated with plastics and related contamination, it becomes urgently necessary for all government agencies to participate in a comprehensive strategy to eliminate plastics and pesticides. Beyond Pesticides points to the evolving science on plastics contamination and their interaction with pesticides as yet another reason to transition to holistic land management systems that take on the challenge of eliminating hazardous chemical use. Organic land management policy creates the holistic systems framework through which plastics can be eliminated. >> Tell USDA, EPA, and FDA to create strong restrictions on plastics in farming, water, and food. […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Plastic, Uncategorized, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) | No Comments »
22
Mar
(Beyond Pesticides, March 22, 2024) With long-running efforts to keep organic land management in the forefront of public health and environmental measures to eliminate petrochemical synthetic substances, including pesticides and fertilizers, plastic again emerges as an increasing threat in a study linking microplastics to cardiovascular disease. The study by Italian researchers, published in the March 7 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, finds an elevated risk factor for heart attack and stroke associated with plastics found in the plaque of the majority of patientsâ carotid arteries. A holistic approach to agriculture that embraces principles and values to enhance biodiversity and protect health, the organic system requires that synthetic substances are compatible with that system. In this context, the environmental and public health effects of plastics are increasingly subject to scrutiny as they permeate nearly every aspect of food production, including fields, crops, foods, and food packaging. Plastics also migrate from other sectors into agriculture via wind and water and are now ubiquitous in every environment. Removing plastics from any ecosystem is extremely problematic, so getting them out of agriculture will be difficult â but necessary, given the accumulating evidence of their toxicity. Beyond Pesticides continues to push for […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Cardiovascular Disease, Plastic, Uncategorized | No Comments »
21
Mar
(Beyond Pesticides, March 21, 2024) Alarming levels of a hazardous pesticide plant growth regulator linked to reproductive and developmental effects, chlormequat, is found in 90% of urine samples in people tested, raising concerns about exposure to a chemical that has never been registered for food use in the U.S. but whose residues are permitted on imported food. Published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology in February 2024 and led by Environmental Working Group toxicologist Alexis Temkin, PhD, a pilot study finds widespread chlormequat exposure to a sampling of people from across the country. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations only permit the use of chlormequat on ornamental plants and not food crops grown in the U.S. As explained in the journal article, âIn April 2018, the U.S. EPA published acceptable food tolerance levels for chlormequat chloride in imported oat, wheat, barley, and some animal products, which permitted the import of chlormequat into the U.S. food supply.â In 2020, EPA increased the allowable level of chlormequat in food. Then in April 2023, EPA proposed allowing the first-ever U.S. use of chlormequat on barley, oat, triticale (a hybrid of wheat and rye), and wheat. Existing regulatory standards explain the […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, chemical sensitivity, Chemicals, chlormequat, contamination, Disease/Health Effects, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Infertility, multi-generational effects, Pesticide Mixtures, Pesticide Regulation, Pesticide Residues, Regenerative, Reproductive Health, Respiratory Diseases, Respiratory Problems, synergistic effects, Uncategorized | No Comments »
20
Mar
(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 »
18
Mar
(Beyond Pesticides, March 18, 2024) Comments are due by 11:59 pm EDT on April 3, 2024. Organic standard setting provides for democratic input, full transparency, and continuous improvement. The current public comment period is an important opportunity for the public to engage with the organic rulemaking process to ensure that the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) and the USDA National Organic Program uphold the values and principles set forth in the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA). With the threats to health, biodiversity, and climate associated with petrochemical pesticide and fertilizer use in chemical-intensive land management, advocates stress that this is critical time to keep organic strong and continually improving. Organic maintains a unique place in the food system because of its high standards, public input, inspection system, and enforcement mechanism. But, organic will only grow stronger if the public participates in voicing positions on key issues to the NOSB, a stakeholder advisory board. Beyond Pesticides has identified key issues for the upcoming NOSB meeting below! The NOSB is receiving written comments from the public on key issues through April 3, 2024. This precedes the upcoming public comment webinar on April 23 and 25 and the deliberative hearing on April 29 through […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Announcements, Biosolids, compost, contamination, National Organic Standards Board/National Organic Program, Organic Foods Production Act OFPA, Pesticide Regulation, PFAS, Take Action, Uncategorized, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) | No Comments »
14
Mar
 (Beyond Pesticides, March 14, 2024) A recent review in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) highlights the urgent need to address the widespread chemical pollution stemming from the petrochemical industry, underscoring the dire implications for public health. Tracey Woodruff, PhD, author and professor at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), emphatically states in an email comment to Beyond Pesticides, “We need to recognize the very real harm that petrochemicals are having on peopleâs health. Many of these fossil-fuel-based chemicals are endocrine disruptors, meaning they interfere with hormonal systems, and they are part of the disturbing rise in disease.” Beyond Pesticides echoes this concern, noting that endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) include many pesticides and are linked to a plethora of health issues such as infertility, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, early puberty, as well as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Parkinsonâs, Alzheimerâs, and childhood and adult cancers. (See Beyond Pesticidesâ Disease database here and news coverage here). The review further calls on the clinical community to advocate for policy changes aimed at mitigating the health threats posed by petrochemical-derived EDCs and climate change. Beyond Pesticides urgently calls for the elimination of petrochemical pesticides and fertilizers and advocates for a systemic […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Body Burden, Cancer, Chemicals, Climate, Climate Change, contamination, Dow Chemical, Drinking Water, DuPont, Endocrine Disruption, Farmworkers, Groundwater, Herbicides, Livestock, Lung Cancer, multi-generational effects, National Organic Standards Board/National Organic Program, Oceans, PFAS, phthalates, Plastic, Reproductive Health, soil health, Synthetic Fertilizer, Synthetic Turf, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
13
Mar
(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 »
07
Mar
(Beyond Pesticides, March 7, 2024) As the threats to health, biodiversity, and climate converge in agricultural policy and practices, the question of defining the fundamental changes necessary to reverse these existential crises takes on life-sustaining importance. Despite the existence of an organic community with governing stakeholders (farmers, consumers, conservationists, retailers, processors, inspectors, and scientists) that has evolved over at least seven decades and is codified in the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) of 1990, the term âregenerativeâ is now increasingly being advanced as a loosely defined alternative to the organic standard and label, which is transparent, defined, certified, enforced, and subject to public input. The publication AgFunderNews (AFN) last month published its updated â2024 list of agrifood corporates making regenerative agriculture commitments,â a whoâs who of the largest food and agribusiness corporations worldwide. The list includes companies such as ADM, Cargill, Danone, General Mills, Tyson, Unilever, Walmart, and more with commitments to millions of acres in their supply chain practicing âregenerativeâ agriculture with target dates ranging from 2024 to 2050. The AFN author reporting on the âregenerativeâ trend states, â[O]ne big challenge is that âregenerative agricultureâ still has no set definition. While that still holds true, the bigger observation in […]
Posted in Agriculture, California, Cargill, Climate, General Mills, Regenerative, soil health, TruGreen, Uncategorized, Wal-Mart | No Comments »
04
Mar
(Beyond Pesticides, March 4, 2024) With 14.7 million children and adolescents in the U.S. recognized as obese by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the established connection with endocrine disrupting contaminants, including many pesticides, Beyond Pesticides is calling on federal food assistance programs to go organic. The problem of childhood obesity is higher in people of color and, as a result, is an environmental justice issue. According to CDC, the prevalence of childhood obesity is â26.2% among Hispanic children, 24.8% among non-Hispanic Black children, 16.6% among non-Hispanic White children, and 9.0% among non-Hispanic Asian children.â While childhood obesity is recognized as a serious problem, the National School Lunch Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)âalthough improved by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010âstill provides lunches laced with obesogenic pesticides. To take meaningful steps against childhood obesity, school lunches must be organic. The program served 4.9 billion meals in fiscal year 2022 in over 100,000 public and nonprofit schools, grades Pre-Kindergarten-12. Contrary to popular opinion, the blame for the obesity epidemic cannot be attributed solely to diet and exercise broadly, but relates directly to pesticide and toxic chemical exposures, including residues in food, that may lead […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Children, Children/Schools, Diabetes, Endocrine Disruption, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), metabolic syndrome, Take Action, Uncategorized, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) | 8 Comments »
29
Feb
(Beyond Pesticides, February 29, 2024) In the face of federal inaction, an Oregon regulation banning the agricultural uses of the highly toxic chlorpyrifos took effect on January 1, 2024. Chlorpyrifos was voluntarily withdrawn from the market in 2000 for most residential uses by its manufacturer, Dow Chemical, and has been the subject of extensive litigation. At that time, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allowed most agricultural uses to continue. Oregon joins four other states that have acted to ban chlorpyrifos, including Hawaiâi, New York, California, and Maryland.  Central to state action are nervous system and brain effects in children, especially farmworker children. Chlorpyrifos is banned in 39 countries, including the European Union (see here for more Beyond Pesticides coverage). State action has become important since the November 2023 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, which overturned the EPA rule revoking all food tolerances for chlorpyrifos, an effective ban on chlorpyrifos use. The final EPA rule, issued in August 2021, came in response to a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that found the agencyâs inaction on chlorpyrifos unlawful. The case was filed by Earthjustice, on behalf of public health, labor, and disability organizations. The […]
Posted in Agriculture, Chlorpyrifos, Dow Chemical, Drift, Environmental Justice, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Farmworkers, Nervous System Effects, Oregon, Pesticide Regulation, Pesticide Residues, Uncategorized | No Comments »
28
Feb
(Beyond Pesticides, February 28, 2024) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is putting on hold its Vulnerable Species Project (VSP) after vociferous comments from the petrochemical pesticide industry to instead, âcreate a narrow, tailored policy rather than a sweeping, burdensome one,â according to a recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. Upon heavy pushback from the petrochemical pesticide industry and agribusiness, EPA is hosting a variety of workshops and openings for the public to provide feedback not just on VSP, but the Endangered Species Act (ESA) Workplan the Biden Administration originally introduced in 2021 in its entirety. Advocates are calling for the strengthening of pesticide regulation given the impending decisions that may shape the fate of ESA-FIFRA (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act) compliance for years to come. As EPA continues through its pesticide registration program to advance continued dependency on pesticides through its interpretation of FIFRA, despite the availability of nontoxic alternatives, endangered species extinction and biodiversity collapse has never been a high priority. While EPA has initiated efforts to address a significant backlog of pesticide evaluations, Civil Eats has reported that the agency faces a task so extensive that itâŻmay require several additional decades to fully catch up. EPA officials stated, âEven if EPA completed […]
Posted in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Habitat Protection, Pesticide Drift, Pesticide Regulation, Uncategorized, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
15
Feb
(Beyond Pesticides, February 15, 2024) The latest U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pesticide residue report, the 32nd Pesticide Data Program (PDP) Annual Summary report, released in January, finds that over 72 percent of tested commodities contain pesticide residues (27.6 percent have no detectable residues), mostly below the level the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set for tolerances (allowable residues) whose safety standards have been called into question by advocates. USDA spins its report findings as a positive safety finding because, as the Department says, â[m]ore than 99 percent of the products sampled through PDP had residues below the established EPA tolerances.â USDA continues, âUltimately, if EPA determines a pesticide use is not safe for human consumption, EPA will mitigate exposure to the pesticide through actions such as amending the pesticide label instructions, changing or revoking a pesticide residue tolerance, or not registering a new use.â As Beyond Pesticides reminds the public annually when USDA uses the report to extol the safety of pesticide-laden food, the tolerance setting process has been criticized as highly deficient because of a lack of adequate risk assessments for vulnerable subpopulations, such as farmworkers, people with compromised health or preexisting health conditions, children, and perhaps, […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Children, Farmworkers, Pesticide Drift, Pesticide Residues, Uncategorized, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) | No Comments »
14
Feb
(Beyond Pesticides, February 14, 2024) The latest in a series of reports on the state of farmworker protection, released last December, highlights the long history of health threats, regulatory failures, and structural racism that is imbued in the chemical-intensive agricultural system that feeds the nation and world. The authors conclude that farmworkers âface a level of occupational risk unrivaled by most workers.â They continue: âFrom repeated exposure to pesticides and extreme heat, to injuries from machinery and repetitive motion, conditions on American farms involve myriad hazards. Meanwhile, a lack of access to healthcare and legal services, low wages, marginalization, language barriers, racism, and the threat of deportation among these largely immigrant communities compound their many challenges.â Describing the U.S. food system and the workers who serve as its foundation, Precarious Protection: Analyzing Compliance with Pesticide Regulations for Farmworker Safety is the third publication in a series of reports on farmworker health and safety, led by the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems (CAFS) at Vermont Law and Graduate School and written with the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic and the nonprofit group Farmworker Justice. Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future and Farmworker Justice partnered on the […]
Posted in Agriculture, California, Environmental Justice, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Farmworkers, Florida, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Occupational Health, Oregon, Pesticide Regulation, Uncategorized, Washington | No Comments »
07
Feb
(Beyond Pesticides, February 7, 2024) Sun + Earth Certified (SEC), a West Coast third-party regenerative organic certifier of cannabis products, approved the first certification for an East Coast farm in Brattleboro, Vermont â Rebel Grown. The expansion of independent certifications amidst the ongoing legalization of recreational and medicinal marijuana usage raises questions on the regulation of toxic petrochemical pesticides found in a range of cannabis products. SEC does establish, in its standards, the use of âbiopesticides…[o]nly if the product brand name is approved for use in certified organic farming.â Additionally, the label goes beyond the stringency of the National Organic Program in its policy on potassium bicarbonate as an approved input. For example, SEC standards dictate that this input should be, â[f]or pest control as a last resort only… [and] only if the product brand name is approved for use in certified organic farming.â Rebel Grownâ the new farm that acquired the SEC label â owner reported to Brattleboro Reformer, “Cannabis grown regeneratively, under the sun and in the soil, without toxic chemicals, is not only high quality but also the best for the earth.â Before delving into the weeds, there is important legal context on current regulations regarding marijuana […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, California, Cannabis, Pesticide Regulation, Pesticide Residues, Poisoning, Regenerative, Uncategorized, Vermont | No Comments »