Toward farmer justice in California
The California Farmer Justice Collaborative is a collective of organizations working toward equity with and for historically underserved farmers in California. Learn more
Bayer can’t greenwash away Monsanto’s mess
As the headlines of their corporate misdeeds pile up, the Monsanto name is becoming even more synonymous with shady dealings and the obfuscation of science, all at the expense of public health. Will the company’s recent mega-merger with fellow seed and pesticide giant Bayer erase Monsanto’s track record? Bayer seems to think so, as they made the decision to drop the Monsanto name completely post-merger. But we’re not too worried.
Sep 20, 2018
Willa Childress
Farm equity in California: Whose job is it?
This week, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) officially announced their hiring of the new Farm Equity Advisor (FEA), a position now filled by Thea Rittenhouse. The creation of this position was one of the main pieces included in the Farmer Equity Act of 2017 (AB 1348) — legislation proposed by the farmer and farmer-advocate group, the California Farmer Justice Collaborative (CFJC).
Sep 20, 2018
Paola Diaz
The Farm Bill is up — & it matters
Congress is taking up the Farm Bill again this week, and many issues key to our food and agriculture system are on the table — including how we deal with pesticides.
Sep 4, 2018
Kristin Schafer
Guest blog: In my community, you are what your plants eat
I am very fortunate to call California, Ventura County specifically, home. The Golden State hosts more than 25 million acres of farmland, and many Californians live in communities nestled alongside these vast expanses of agriculture. Ventura County’s unique Mediterranean microclimate allows for high production levels of several different types of row crops, most notably strawberries.
Aug 28, 2018
Adam Vega
Toward farmer justice in California
Members of the California Farmer Justice Collaborative (CFJC) have been hard at work putting issues of farmer justice in front of local policymakers in California. In fact, earlier this month, CFJC members had a powerhouse meeting with California Assemblymember Robert Bonta and members of State Senator Nancy Skinner’s staff to discuss next steps for farmer justice in California.
Aug 23, 2018
Moretta Browne
A landmark victory: Monsanto, Roundup & cancer
In a historic ruling in the San Francisco Superior Court earlier this month, a jury found the Monsanto corporation (recently merged with Bayer) fully liable for health damages caused by its herbicide, Roundup. The plaintiff, DeWayne Johnson, was awarded $289 million in damages.
Aug 21, 2018
Pesticide Actio...
Court to EPA: Chlorpyrifos ban is on!
As of Thursday morning, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has 60 days to finalize its ban of the neurotoxic pesticide chlorpyrifos.
Aug 9, 2018
Pesticide Actio...
In the U.S. and the world, pesticide use is up
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) used to release “Pesticide Industry Sales and Usage” reports every two years — but that was almost 20 years ago. Several months ago, after fielding a question from a colleague, I found the most recent iteration of this report, released at the end of 2017 and covering market estimates from 2008 to 2012.
Aug 2, 2018
Emily Marquez
Monsanto’s dicamba crisis: guilty as charged
The number of dicamba drift-related crop injuries sweeping across rural America is rising, along with the outrage, as this unnecessary chemical debacle unfolds. Learn more