Pesticides

EU report: Non-toxic alternatives to glyphosate are accessible and financially feasible

As policymakers in the European Union develop plans to cut pesticide use and risk in half, Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe, working with the European Greens, recently released a report laying out safer, non-chemical alternatives to glyphosate-based herbicides. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup, the most popular global weedkiller, and is present in 33% […]

Pollination loss removes healthy foods from global diets, increases chronic diseases causing excess deaths

Inadequate pollination has led to a 3-5% loss of fruit, vegetable, and nut production and an estimated 427,000 excess deaths annually from lost healthy food consumption and associated diseases, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain cancers, according to research led by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. It is the first study to […]

Childhood exposure to glyphosate herbicide may increase the risk of disease in young adulthood

By Sheila Kaplan New research from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health shows that childhood exposure to the world’s most widely used weed killer, glyphosate, is linked to liver inflammation and metabolic disorder in early adulthood, which could lead to liver cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease later in life. The study of 480 mother-child […]

Study shows synthetic pesticides significantly more dangerous than natural ones

Supporters of so-called conventional agriculture have been claiming that pesticides used in organic farming are as harmful or even more harmful than those used in conventional farming. A new study shreds that claim to pieces. The European Green Deal’s targets of expanding organic agriculture to 25%, halving pesticide use and risk, and protecting sensitive areas […]

New studies reveal links between exposure to glyphosate herbicide and oxidative stress, adverse birth outcomes, and cancer

Two new studies provide strong evidence linking exposures to the world’s most heavily applied pesticide—glyphosate—to cancer and adverse reproductive and birth outcomes. The common cause is glyphosate’s ability to trigger oxidative stress in cells. The first study, “Glyphosate Exposure and Urinary Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in the Agricultural Health Study” was published by a team of […]