Search Results
Tuesday, August 11th, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, August 11, 2020)Â Petitioners who mounted a legal challenge to the Environmental Protection Agencyâs (EPAâs) registration of Enlist Duo, a relatively new and highly toxic pesticide product, recently learned of a mixed decision from the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the case. The good news is that Judge Ryan D. Nelson, writing the opinion for the court, found that EPA, in registering the herbicide Enlist Duo, had failed to protect monarch butterflies, which are under consideration as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). On the other and disturbing hand, the court concluded that EPA registration of the product was otherwise lawful â which means that this toxic compound will for now remain on the market. As one of the plaintiffs in the case, Beyond Pesticides is adamant that this product should not be registered for use by EPA. George Kimbrell, Legal Director of Center for Food Safety and Lead Counsel for the plaintiffs, commented on the decision in the organizationâs July 22 press release on the decision: âThe panel majority’s unprecedented decision is contrary to controlling law and established science, and Center for Food Safety is analyzing all legal options, including seeking a full […]
Posted in 2,4-D, Bayer, Dow Chemical, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Glyphosate, Monsanto, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, August 7th, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, August 7, 2020) Research out of the Silent Spring Institute identifies 28 registered pesticides linked with development of mammary gland tumors in animal studies. Study authors Bethsaida Cardona and Ruthann Rudel also report that many of the pesticides they investigated behave as endocrine disruptors; breast cancers in humans are significantly influenced by hormones generated by the endocrine system. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) acknowledges that nine of these 28 pesticide compounds cause mammary tumors, but dismisses the evidence of the other 19. The results of this research, published in the journal Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, evince Beyond Pesticidesâ long-standing argument that the risk assessment process used by EPA for its pesticide registration process is substantially inadequate to protect human health. The co-authors cite, as the catalyst for this research project, a Cape Cod residentâs outreach to the Silent Spring Institute several years ago, asking for information about the herbicide triclopyr because utility companies wanted to spray it on vegetation below local power lines. (The compound has also been used by the logging industry in the Pacific Northwest.) They reviewed more than 400 EPA pesticide documents on the health impacts of many registered pesticides for this research, conducted as part […]
Posted in Atrazine, Breast Cancer, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Malathion, Triclopyr, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, July 31st, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, July 31, 2020)Â On July 22, the New York State Legislature passed Senate 6502 / Assembly 732-B â a bill that would ban the use of all glyphosate-based herbicides on state properties. The bill now awaits Governor Andrew Cuomoâs signature, which would make it law effective December 31, 2021. Beyond Pesticides considers this a hopeful development in the glyphosate âsagaâ and has urged the governor ought to sign it. Nevertheless, such piecemeal, locality-by-locality initiatives represent mere âdropsâ of protection in an ocean of toxic chemical pesticides to which the U.S. public is exposed. A far more effective, protective solution is the much-needed transition from chemical-intensive agriculture and other kinds of land management to organic systems that do not use toxic pesticides. The bill â titled âAn Act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to prohibiting the use of glyphosate on state propertyâ â was introduced in 2019 and sponsored by New York State Assembly Member Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF-New York) and State Senator JosĂŠ Serrano. It would add a new subdivision to section 12 of the stateâs environmental conservation law, proscribing âany state department, agency, public benefit corporation or any pesticide applicator employed thereby as a contractor […]
Posted in Children, Glyphosate, New York, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Thursday, July 16th, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, July 16, 2020) Long-term exposure to sublethal (low-level) concentrations of the neonicotinoid in soil negatively affects the health and behavioral development of black garden ants (Lasius niger) colonies, according to a study published in Communications Biology by scientists at the University of Bern, Switzerland. Ants are one of the most biologically significant insects in the soil ecosystem, acting as ecosystem engineers. Their burrowing behavior aerates the soil, allowing oxygen and water to penetrate down to plant roots. Additionally, ants increase soil nutrient levels by importing and accumulating organic material like food and feces, thus enhancing nutrient cycling. Like many other insects, ants are unfortunate victims of the global insect apocalypse or population decline, and much research attributes the recent decline to several, including pesticide exposure. Broad-spectrum pesticides, like neonicotinoids, indiscriminately kill pests and nontarget organisms alike, as their ubiquitous use contaminates soils, even in untreated areas. This study highlights the necessity of rethinking chemical pest management, developing sustainable agricultural practices that reduce the use of agrochemicals, like pesticides, to prevent permanent environmental ecosystem damage. Researchers in the study note, âTo prevent irreparable damages to functioning ecosystems, [we] suggest to either fully incorporate long-term effects in risk assessment schemes, or to make a shift […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Beneficials, Biodiversity, contamination, Increased Vulnerability to Diseases from Chemical Exposure, neonicotinoids, Pesticide Residues, Pollinators, Soil microbiome, Thiamethoxam, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
Thursday, July 9th, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, July 9, 2020) Conventional U.S. milk contains growth hormones, antibiotics, and low to elevated levels of pesticides not found in organic milk, according to a study published in the journal of Public Health Nutrition by Emory University researchers. Milk can bioaccumulate certain organic pollutants, making it a valuable medium to assess what chemical we might be ingesting daily. With milk being one of the most consumed beverages in the U.S., in addition to its use in other popular drinks (i.e., coffee and tea), this study discloses widespread contamination and highlights the need for improved regulation. Researchers in the study note, âTo our knowledge, the present study is the first study to compare levels of pesticide in the U.S. milk supply by production method (conventional vs. organic). It is also the first in a decade to measure antibiotic and hormone levels and compare them by milk production type.â The market for conventional milk, produced in chemical-intensive agriculture, is declining, but the demand for organic milk is increasing due to concerns over chemical contamination in consumer products from pesticides and other toxic chemicals. Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets limits for pesticide residues in food products, the agency […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Atrazine, Chlorpyrifos, contamination, cypermethrin, DDT, Diazinon, Disease/Health Effects, Federal Agencies, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), Regenerative | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, July 1st, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, July 1, 2020) As the U.S. is subject to searing criticism for inadequately regulated hazardous pesticides domestically, administration officials are standing in the way as other countries’ work toward modest reforms. According to a report published in Reuters, the U.S. is standing alongside the corrupt Bolsonaro administration in Brazil to oppose Thailandâs efforts to protect its citizens from highly toxic pesticides used in food production. Both countries launched separate complaints to the World Trade Organization after Thailand announced it would ban imports of the brain-damaging insecticide chlorpyrifos and weedkiller paraquat, which has been strongly linked to Parkinsonâs disease. On June 1, Thailand added paraquat and chlorpyrifos to its list of most hazardous substances. This listing initiated a follow-on regulation that banned the import of these substances on food, set to take effect in mid-July. Thailand has been feeling the brunt of U.S. diplomatic pressure since it first proposed restrictions on toxic chemicals late last year. By December, the U.S. was able to get Bangkok to remove glyphosate from its proposal, and delay the listing of paraquat and chlorpyrifos until June. But as the current situation shows, the U.S. had no plans to stop pressuring the Bangkok government after […]
Posted in Agriculture, Chlorpyrifos, Dow Chemical, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Glyphosate, International, Paraquat, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, June 29th, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, June 29, 2020) Bayer’s Monsanto is requesting non-regulated status for corn that will increase the use of drift-prone and toxic herbicides. This means that the planting of a new genetically engineered (GE) variety of corn, which requires substantial weed killer use, will not be restricted in any way. The syndrome of ‘more-corn, more-pesticides, more-poisoning, more-contamination’ must stopâas we effect an urgent systemic transformation to productive and profitable organic production practices. Because USDA is proposing to allow a new herbicide-dependent crop under the Plant Protection Act, the agency must, but does not, consider the adverse impacts associated with the production practices on other plants and the effects on the soil in which they are grown. Business as usual is not an option for a livable future. Sign the petition. Tell USDA we don’t need more use of 2,4-D, Dicamba, and other toxic herbicides associated with the planting of new GE corn. Bayer-Monsanto has developed multi-herbicide tolerant MON 87429 maize, which is tolerant to the herbicides 2,4-D, dicamba, glyphosate, glufosinate, and aryloxyphenoxypropionate (AOPP) acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors (so-called âFOPâ herbicides, such as quizalofop). Now the company wants this corn to be deregulatedâallowing it to be planted and the herbicides […]
Posted in 2,4-D, Agriculture, Bayer, Dicamba, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Genetic Engineering, Monsanto, Take Action, Uncategorized, US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | 1 Comment »
Friday, June 26th, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, June 26, 2020) A court decision in California, challenging a cancer warning on products containing the weed killer glyphosate, highlights the distinct ways in which scientific findings are applied under regulatory standards, in toxic tort cases evaluated by juries, and by consumers in the marketplace. These differences came into focus as a U.S. court quashed Californiaâs decision to require cancer warning labels on glyphosate products on June 22. The ruling, by Judge William Shubb of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, bars the state from requiring labeling that warns of potential carcinogenicity on such herbicides. The World Health Organizationâs International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2015 classified glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen. At this point, Monsanto began a worldwide campaign to challenge glyphosateâs cancer classification. The IARC finding spurred the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, in the same year, to announce that glyphosate would be listed as a probable cancer-causing chemical under Californiaâs Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65). With that announcement came another: the state would mandate that cancer warning labels be applied to glyphosate-based products in the state when any of four […]
Posted in Agriculture, Bayer, California, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Genetic Engineering, Glyphosate, Litigation, Monsanto, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Thursday, June 25th, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, June 25, 2020) Facing approximately 125,000 lawsuits on cancer caused by the weed killer Roundup™ (glyphosate), Bayer/Monsanto announced yesterday that it will pay up to $10.9 billion to resolve current and potential future litigation. According to Bayer, the settlement will âbring closureâ to approximately 75% of current Roundup™ litigation. âThe company will make a payment of $8.8 billion to $9.6 billion to resolve the current Roundup™ litigation, including an allowance expected to cover unresolved claims, and $1.25 billion to support a separate class agreement to address potential future litigation,â according to Bayerâs press release. At the same time the company announced a $400 million settlement with farmers whose crops have been damaged by the weed killer dicamba and $820 million for PCB water litigation. Bayer is a German multinational pharmaceutical and chemical company that purchased Monsanto for $63 billion in 2018. Bayerâs stock price increased by 2.5% after the news of the settlements. Bayer Settles, but Defends the Safety of Roundup™As expected, Bayer is not acknowledging any harm caused by glyphosate. According to chief executive officer of Bayer, Werner Baumann, âThe decision to resolve the Roundup™ litigation enables us to focus fully on the critical supply of healthcare […]
Posted in Agriculture, Bayer, Dicamba, Genetic Engineering, Glyphosate, Monsanto, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, June 17th, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, June 17, 2020) The June 3 decision in a high-profile âdicamba caseâ â against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and for the plaintiffs, a coalition of conservation groups â was huge news in environmental advocacy, agriculture, and agrochemical circles. The federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated EPAâs 2018 conditional registration of three dicamba weed killer products for use on an estimated 60 million acres of DT (dicamba-tolerant through genetic modification/engineering) soybeans and cotton. There is, however, a related issue that accompanies this and many other pesticide cases. When EPA decides to cancel or otherwise proscribe use of a pesticide (usually as a result of its demonstrated toxicity and/or damage during litigation), the agency will often allow pesticide manufacturers to continue to sell off âexisting stocksâ of a pesticide, or growers and applicators to continue to use whatever stock they have or can procure. Beyond Pesticides has opposed, covered, and litigated against this practice. To greenlight predictable harm is a violation of any recognized moral code, never mind of the agencyâs mission â âto protect human health and the environment.â According to Beyond Pesticides, EPA should never permit continued use of a dangerous pesticide once that compoundâs […]
Posted in Agriculture, Dicamba, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Genetic Engineering, Pesticide Drift, Pesticide Regulation, Resistance, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Friday, June 12th, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, June 12, 2020) New research finds that western monarch milkweed habitat contains a âubiquity of pesticidesâ that are likely contributing to the decline of the iconic species. The research, published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, provides a grim snapshot of a world awash in pesticides, and raises new questions about the U.S. regulatory process that continues to allow these toxic chemicals on to the market without adequate review and oversight. “We expected to find some pesticides in these plants, but we were rather surprised by the depth and extent of the contamination,” said Matt Forister, PhD, a butterfly expert, biology professor at the University of Nevada, Reno and co-author of the paper in a press release. “From roadsides, from yards, from wildlife refuges, even from plants bought at storesâdoesn’t matter from whereâit’s all loaded with chemicals. We have previously suggested that pesticides are involved in the decline of low elevation butterflies in California, but the ubiquity and diversity of pesticides we found in these milkweeds was a surprise,” Dr. Forister said. The researchers collected over 200 milkweed samples from nearly 20 different sites across the Central Valley of California, as well as from retailers that sell milkweed […]
Posted in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Habitat Protection, neonicotinoids, Pollinators, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 10th, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, June 9, 2020) Use of the weed killer dicamba on genetically engineered (GE) cotton and soybeans is now prohibited after a federal court ruling against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week. A coalition of conservation groups filed suit in 2018 after EPA renewed a conditional registration for dicambaâs âover the topâ (OTT) use on GE cotton and soy developed to tolerate repeated sprayings of the herbicide. “For the thousands of farmers whose fields were damaged or destroyed by dicamba drift despite our warnings, the National Family Farm Coalition is pleased with today’s ruling,” said National Family Farm Coalition president Jim Goodman in a press release. First registered in the late 1960s, dicamba has been linked to cancer, reproductive effects, neurotoxicity, birth defects, and kidney and liver damage. It is also toxic to birds, fish and other aquatic organisms, and known to leach into waterways after an application. It is a notoriously drift-prone herbicide. Studies and court filings show dicamba able to drift well over a mile off-site after an application. Bayerâs Monsanto thought they could solve this problem. The âRoundup Readyâ GE agricultural model the company developed, with crops engineered to tolerate recurrent applications of their […]
Posted in Agriculture, BASF, Bayer, Dicamba, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Genetic Engineering, Litigation, Monsanto, Uncategorized, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 26th, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, May 26, 2020) Across the pond, the European Commission (EC) has announced plans to protect biodiversity and build a more sustainable food system, and identified the reduction of pesticide use and the expansion of organic agriculture as pillars of the scheme. The EC expects that the initiative, which will require EU member statesâ endorsement, will advance progress on the EU goal of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, given that 10% of emissions arise from the agricultural sector. The ECâs goals are important and laudable, but Beyond Pesticides is clear: reduction of pesticide use in service of them is not an adequate strategy to ensure long-term success. Genuine success requires the elimination of the use of synthetic chemical pesticides, fertilizers, and other toxic inputs, and the transition to agricultural and land management systems that work with nature, rather than fight against it. Regenerative, organic practices are the path to a livable future, according to Beyond Pesticides. The EC, which is the executive branch of the EU, expects its plan to reduce use of pesticides by 50% by 2030; reduce use of antimicrobial chemicals, including antibiotics, in fish and animal farming by 50%; dedicate a minimum of 25% of arable […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, Biodiversity, Climate Change, International, Pollinators, Resistance, Uncategorized, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
Thursday, May 21st, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, May 21, 2020) Use of the herbicide dicamba increases humans’ risk of various acute and chronic cancers, according to research published in the International Journal of Epidemiology by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Many pesticides are âknown or probableâ carcinogens (cancer-causing agents), and their widespread use only amplifies chemical hazards, adversely affecting human health. However, past research lacks comprehensive information regarding human health effects associated with long-term pesticide use. This study highlights the significant role that long-term research plays in identifying potential health concerns surrounding registered pesticides, especially as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to reaffirm its decision to allow dicamba use on genetically engineered (GE) crops. Nathan Donley, Ph.D., a scientist with the environmental health program at the Center for Biological Diversity, comments: âThis sweeping study exposes the terrible human cost of the EPAâs reckless decision to expand the use of dicamba. [âŚ]For the EPA to approve widespread use of this poison across much of the country without assuring its safety to people and the environment is an absolute indictment of the agencyâs persistent practice of rubber-stamping dangerous pesticides.â Dicambaâa benzoic acid chemical that controls broadleaf weedsâis one of the most widely applied herbicides in corn production. As a result of weed resistant to […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Antibiotic Resistance, Cancer, Dicamba, Disease/Health Effects, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Genetic Engineering, Pesticide Drift, Pesticide Regulation, Pesticide Residues, Resistance, synergistic effects, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Thursday, April 30th, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, April 30, 2020) Chemical-intensive farming of crops for animal fodder powers the global market for highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs), according to data analyzed by Unearthed, and the Swiss NGO Public Eye. Animal fodder production not only intensifies global pollution, but it also increases pesticide exposure and degrades human, animal, and environmental health. This data analysis supports advocates advancing pesticide policies to eliminate HHPs by identifying which toxic chemicals lead global pesticide sales. However, it will take more than eliminating the worst chemicals to address the impending biodiversity collapse and the climate crisis, according to experts who point to the need for an urgent shift to organic land and agricultural management practices. United Nationsâ (UN) special rapporteur on toxic substances and human rights, Baskut Tuncak, says, âThere is nothing sustainable about the widespread use of highly hazardous pesticides for agriculture. Whether they poison workers, extinguish biodiversity, persist in the environment, or accumulate in a motherâs breast milk, these are unsustainable, cannot be used safely, and should have been phased out of use long ago.â Unearthed and Public Eye investigated over $23 billion in global pesticide market sales to determine the proportion of pesticides considered highly hazardous by the Pesticide Action Networkâs […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Atrazine, Disease/Health Effects, Genetic Engineering, Glyphosate, Increased Vulnerability to Diseases from Chemical Exposure, Livestock, Regenerative, Resistance, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Thursday, April 23rd, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, April 23, 2020) Pesticide spray drift from adjacent farmlands expose butterfly larvae to lethal pesticide concentrations, according to research published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry by Iowa State University (ISU). Lack of previous experimental pesticide toxicity data makes it unclear as to what degree insecticides impact monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) productivity in milkweed (Asclepias spp.) habitats near pesticide-treated pasture. This study adds weight to the idea that pesticides are playing a role in the ongoing decline of this iconic butterfly, as researchers find insecticide drift from adjacent fields to be strongly associated with larval mortality. Future monarch butterfly conservation efforts should consider risks stemming from pesticide exposure when developing butterfly rehabilitation efforts, according to advocates. As co-author Niranjana Krishnan (ISU graduate student) states, âIn order to make the best decisions about how and where to plant milkweed, we first need to find basic toxicity and exposure data.â ISU researchers established monarch butterfly colonies by collecting larvae from roadside milkweeds, which they then reared in the laboratory for incubation. To analyze the relative toxicity of various insecticides on monarch butterflies, researchers applied normal field-application rates of each pesticide at different larval development stages. Scientists used a bioassay to measure the […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Chlorpyrifos, Cyfluthrin, Habitat Protection, Imidacloprid, Increased Vulnerability to Diseases from Chemical Exposure, neonicotinoids, organophosphate, Pesticide Drift, Pollinators, Pyrethrin, Reproductive Health, Synthetic Pyrethroid, Thiamethoxam, Uncategorized, Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | No Comments »
Friday, April 10th, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, April 9, 2020) Brazilian tax exemptions benefit the agrichemical industry to the tune of $2.2 billion USD annually, according to researchers from the Oswaldo Cruz foundation and the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro. ABRASCO, the Brazilian Association of Collective Health, headed a new study which illuminates a tight relationship between Brazilian government and industry. Researchers additionally point to millions of dollars given from public resource funds to the companies. While industry lobby groups argue that toxic pesticides are necessary for development and food production, environmental and health advocates say the people of Brazil bear the brunt of toxic pesticide contamination while international companies profit. âIt is as if you lived in a condominium and your neighbor didnât have to pay the condominium fees. And that they got the pool dirty, and the shared gym space, generating costs for everyone else,â says Marcelo Novaes, a SĂŁo Paulo State public defender who has spent years investigating this issue, âThese benefits give large agribusiness companies a break while throwing the cost back on society.â By value, Brazil is the worldâs largest consumer of toxic pesticides. Since President Jair Bolsonaro took office in 2018, the country has rapidly approved new […]
Posted in International, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 7th, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, April 7, 2020) Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered a carcinogenic herbicide for new uses without following the required public notification and comment process, the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting (MCIR) reports. The chemical in question, isoxaflutole, is a broadleaf weedkiller that can now be applied to genetically engineered (GE) soybeans in half of U.S. states. Health and environmental groups are outraged by EPAâs furtive move, accusing the agency of colluding with the pesticide industry. âClearly no one from the public health community knew about this because no one commented,â said Nathan Donley, PhD, of the Center for Biological Diversity to MCIR. âYet there was all these industry comments, all these positive comments. Someone was tipped off that this docket had been opened. One side was able to comment, the other wasnât.â Without public notification, only 54 comments were received. In its decision document, the agency touted how most of the input âwere generally in favor of the decision to register the new use.â When questioned about its move, EPA simply told MCIR that it ârequested public comment on the proposed registration decision.â The Federal Register provides the public notice of a proposed rulemaking by […]
Posted in Agriculture, Cancer, Chemicals, Disease/Health Effects, Isoxafutole, Pesticide Drift, Resistance | No Comments »
Monday, April 6th, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, April 6, 2020) The Trump administration’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is moving forward with a proposal to grow genetically engineered crops (GECs) on National Wildlife Refuges in the Southeast United States, including 131 refuges in 10 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Ask Congress to help stop the dangerous proposal to allow genetically engineered crops on National Wildlife Refuges in the southeast United States. The proposal is the subject of a draft environmental assessment and opens the door to escalating uses of GE crops and harmful pesticides in wildlife refuges. In 2014, public pressure and lawsuits by environmental groups led to the Obama administration’s decision to phase out GE crops and ban neonicotinoid insecticide use on national wildlife refuges. On August 2, 2018, the Trump administration’s USFWS issued a memorandum that reversed the prohibition. The reversal allows the refuge system to make decisions on the use of GECs and neonics on a case-by-case basis in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which is also under attack by the Trump administration. The Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Food Safety, and others quickly challenged the 2018 reversal memorandum with a lawsuit. National Wildlife Refuges are federal public lands specifically designated to […]
Posted in Agriculture, Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Genetic Engineering, Glyphosate, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, March 31st, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, March 31, 2020) Adding to the widespread and problematic use of neonicotinoid pesticides as seed treatments, a recent study published in BioScience finds that there are significant knowledge gaps among some farmers about the seeds they are planting. The research indicates that those gaps contribute to underreporting of accurate data on the use of pesticide-coated (often with neonicotinoid pesticides) seeds â because farmers may not know what pesticides are on the seeds they plant. Pennsylvania State University reports on the study, in Phys.org, saying, âThis lack of data may complicate efforts to evaluate the value of different pest management strategies, while also protecting human health and the environment.â Beyond Pesticides advocates for widespread adoption of organic, regenerative systems and practices that precludes the use of such pesticides. The research was conducted by a team of scientist from around the U.S., led by Claudia Hitaj, PhD, of the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, and former economist at USDAâs Economic Research Service. In the Phys.org coverage of the study, assistant professor of epidemiology and crop pathology at Penn State, Paul Esker, PhD, notes that this lack of farmer knowledge can lead to overuse of pesticides, which would increase the already considerable risks […]
Posted in Agriculture, neonicotinoids, Pollinators, Seeds, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 25th, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, March 25, 2020) The Trump administrationâs U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is moving forward with a proposal to grow genetically engineered crops (GECs) on national wildlife refuges in the Southeast United States. The draft environmental assessment allows wildlife to consume pesticide-laden produce, considers chemical-intensive genetically engineered crops no less damaging to the environment than ânon-use of GECs,â and permits and escalation of climate change with toxic pesticide use increases. USFWâs proposal fails to mention the success of organic agriculture and consider it as one of the alternative management strategies. The proposal is up for public comment until April 10, 2020. In 2014, public pressure and lawsuits by environmental groups led to the Obama administrationâs decision to phase out GE crops and ban neonicotinoid insecticide use on national wildlife refuges. On August 2, 2018, the Trump administrationâs USFWS issued a memorandum that reversed the prohibition. The reversal allows the refuge system to make decisions on the use of GECs and neonics on a case-by-case basis in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which is also under attack by the Trump administration. The Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Food Safety, and others quickly challenged the 2018 […]
Posted in Agriculture, Bayer, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Genetic Engineering, Monsanto, National Environmental Policy Act, neonicotinoids, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Monday, February 24th, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, February 24, 2019) With more than 90% of total pesticide use deployed in agriculture, organic farming is the keystone solution to the myriad health, environmental, and biodiversity harms of pesticides. A transition to organic and regenerative farming practices â across which there is great overlap â is critical and a tall order, given the entrenched, chemically intensive practices that currently dominate in the U.S. and much of the world. A long-standing research effort by the storied Rodale Institute â the Farming Systems Trial, which began in 1981â is demonstrating that organic agriculture is not only a nontoxic solution, but also, an economically viable one that is critical to a sustainable future. Through the Farming Systems Trial (FST), the Rodale Institute has collected data on crop yields, soil health, energy efficiency, nutrient density of drops, and water use and contamination in organic and conventional systems managed with different levels of tillage. Among the findings of the nearly 40-year research project are these: after a five-year transition period, organic yields are competitive with conventional yields⢠in drought years, organic yields are as much as 40% higher than conventional yields farm profits are 3â6 times higher for products from organically managed systems […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Thursday, February 20th, 2020
(Beyond Pesticides, February 20, 2020) Missouriâs largest peach farm, Bader Farms, is set to receive $265 million in compensation from two multinational agrichemical companies after the companies’ dicamba-based weed killers caused widespread damage to the farm’s fruit trees. Bayerâs Monsanto and BASF were found to be responsible for negligence in the design of their dicamba herbicides, and failure to warn farmers about the dangers of their products. The jury determined that the joint venture between the two companies amounted to a conspiracy to create an âecological disasterâ in the name of profit. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved Bayer Monsantoâs release of a new line of genetically engineered (GE) seeds designed to tolerate repeated spraying of dicamba. With glyphosate resistant âsuper-weedsâ widespread and threatening GE farmerâs yields, the company aimed to redeploy dicamba, one of the oldest herbicides in the market, on cotton and soybeans throughout the U.S. Knowing the propensity of dicamba to drift for miles off site, Bayerâs Monsanto promised a new product line with much lower volatility. Â But as the company was waiting on approval for this product by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it nonetheless began selling its dicamba-tolerant seeds. This led to […]
Posted in BASF, Bayer, Dicamba, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Genetic Engineering, Litigation, Missouri, Monsanto, Uncategorized | No Comments »