{"id":36317,"date":"2024-09-09T00:01:30","date_gmt":"2024-09-09T04:01:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=36317"},"modified":"2024-09-11T12:29:00","modified_gmt":"2024-09-11T16:29:00","slug":"increased-pesticide-use-and-infant-deaths-tied-to-decline-of-bats-importance-of-organic-cited","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2024\/09\/increased-pesticide-use-and-infant-deaths-tied-to-decline-of-bats-importance-of-organic-cited\/","title":{"rendered":"Increased Pesticide Use and Infant Deaths Tied to Decline of Bats; Importance of Organic Cited"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

(Beyond Pesticides<\/em>, September 9, 2024)\u00a0\u00a0Comments are due by 11:59 PM EDT on September 30, 2024.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

With the opening of the public comment period on organic standards that determine the integrity, strength, and growth of the organic agricultural sector, a study was released last week that shows degradation of the ecosystem linked to increased infant mortality associated with higher pesticide use by chemical-intensive farmers compensating for losses in bat populations. It is well known that bats, among other wildlife including birds and bees, provide important ecosystem services to farmers by helping to manage pest populations and increase plant resilience and productivity. While degradation of ecosystems is attributable to many factors, pesticide use accounts for an important element in harm to bats<\/a> and biodiversity<\/a>. The study, \u201cThe economic impacts of ecosystem disruptions: Costs from substituting biological pest control<\/a>,\u201d published in Science<\/em>, concludes with a finding\u00a0 that \u201cinsect-eating bat population levels induce farmers to substitute with insecticides, consequently resulting in a negative health shock to infant mortality.\u201d Daily News<\/em> will cover this study in depth in an upcoming edition. According to research published in the\u00a0Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists<\/em> (2022)<\/a>, bat population declines cost American farmers as much as $495 million annually.<\/p>\r\n

Why organic matters.<\/strong> A major tenet of organic land management is the protection and enhancement of biodiversity. Organic as a systemic approach to environmental and human health protection is well-documented to be a productive and profitable<\/a> path to averting biodiversity collapse, eliminating toxic pesticide use, and creating a sustainable future. Organic advocates stress the importance of public involvement in the deliberations of the National Organic Standards Board during the current public comment period ending September 30 to ensure that the standards are upheld and strengthened, as big agricultural interests and some within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) seek to reduce the rigor associated with the USDA organic food label. There is no other system of agricultural production that is subject to as rigorous a public standard-setting process, labeling, certification, and enforcement\u2014while being governed by a stakeholder board composed of a majority of organic farmers, consumers, and conservationists\/environmentalists. Beyond Pesticides says that the label and governing standards are only as strong as the level of public participation by those who eat organic food, practice organic land management, and\/or are concerned about the elimination of all the petrochemical pesticides that contribute to existential climate, biodiversity, and health threats.<\/p>\r\n

How to participate in growing the shift to organic and protecting its integrity. <\/strong>The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is receiving written comments from the public, which\u00a0must be submitted by 11:59 PM EDT on September 30, 2024.<\/strong>\u00a0This precedes the upcoming public comment webinar on October 15 and 17 and a deliberative board hearing on\u00a0October 22-24<\/a>\u2014concerning how organic food is produced.<\/p>\r\n

📌\u00a0Sign up to speak<\/a>\u00a0at the webinar by 11:59 pm EDT on September 30. (Speaking slots are generally filled early.)
\r\n📌 Written comments can be submitted via our\u00a0form below<\/a>\u00a0or directly through\u00a0Regulations.gov<\/a>.<\/strong>
\r\n📌 Links to the virtual comment webinars and the public meeting will be posted on\u00a0this webpage<\/a>\u00a0in early October.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

The NOSB is responsible for guiding the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in its administration of the\u00a0Organic Foods Production Act<\/em>\u00a0(OFPA), including the materials (substances) allowed to be used in organic production and handling. The role of the NOSB is especially important as we depend on organic production to protect our ecosystem, mitigate climate change, and enhance our health.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

>> Click here to submit your comments to the National Organic Standard Board by September 30, 11:59 pm EDT<\/a>.<\/a><\/em><\/strong> [In addition to the issues identified, Beyond Pesticides will issue another action before the comment deadline with comments on all the issues before the board.]<\/p>\r\n

The NOSB plays an important role in bringing the views of organic producers and consumers to bear on USDA, which is not always in sync with organic principles. There are many important issues on the NOSB agenda this Fall. We encourage you to use the\u00a0Beyond Pesticides organic webpage<\/a>\u00a0and comment on as many issues as you can.\u00a0For a complete discussion, see\u00a0Keeping Organic Strong<\/a> and our NEWLY UPDATED (as of September 11, 2024) Fall 2024 issues page<\/a>!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\r\n

Some priority issues for Beyond Pesticides at this meeting are:<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

\u201cInert\u201d ingredients used in organic production.<\/strong>\u00a0USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) and the NOSB have relied on an allowable list of \u201cinert\u201d ingredients that is no longer maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),\u00a0Lists 4A and 4B<\/a>. While most of these materials are not of toxicological concern and are natural, many are synthetic and must undergo NOSB review under its responsibility to evaluate allowable synthetic substances on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances in OFPA. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n

The Materials Subcommittee has proposed two options for addressing this problem. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n