Pesticides

One in three Americans exposed to 2,4-D pesticide—with children at high risk

A study from George Washington University researchers found one in three people in the U.S., of 14,395 surveyed, showed evidence of exposure to a pesticide linked to cancer and reproductive problems. 2,4-D was developed in the 1940s, gaining popularity as a weedkiller and producer of pristine green lawns. It was also an ingredient in Agent Orange, used […]

The poison in our daily bread: Study finds high levels of weedkiller in common supermarket foods

The results of the most comprehensive glyphosate testing of food products ever conducted in the U.S. were recently released by The Detox Project, in a detailed report that shows the true levels of weedkiller contamination in essential foods sold by some of the top grocery stores in the country. The world’s most used weedkiller, glyphosate, was discovered […]

Dicamba herbicide continues to harm crops, as tension mounts between farmers, industry

Incidents of off-target injury from dicamba spray and drift have risen for the fifth consecutive year across the Midwest and South—and conflicts between farmers who rely on dicamba for weed control and those whose crops are suffering from damage are getting heated. The EPA approved new labels and registration for three dicamba products—but despite new […]

New scorecard reports 10 major U.S. food retailers’ progress on protecting bees from toxic pesticides

Giant Eagle, Whole Foods, and Walmart take top positions on Bee-Friendly Retailer Scorecard Friends of the Earth recently released its latest Bee-Friendly Retailer Scorecard, ranking 25 of the largest US grocery retailers on pesticides and pollinator protection in their food and beverage supply chains. Ten retailers improved their scores since last year, with Giant Eagle, Whole Foods, and Walmart ranking […]

Synergistic action of pesticide “cocktails” is escalating bee mortality

A meta-analysis of 90 studies found that bees are dying in greater numbers from the overall synergistic effect between multiple anthropogenic stressors—including agrochemicals, nutritional stressors, and/or parasites. Impacts of these stressors individually were already taking a toll on bee populations; but strong evidence of synergy when bees are exposed to multiple agrochemicals at field-realistic levels […]