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News release Embargoed For Release: For More Information Contact: Kelly Campbell, (415) 981-3939 ext. 6 State and County Agencies Not Protecting Farmworkers CALIFORNIA--A new report released today by United Farm Workers (UFW), Pesticide Action Network (PAN) and California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation (CRLAF) reveals that California farmworkers face a greater risk of pesticide poisonings than any other segment of the population and are not adequately protected by state and county agencies. The report, entitled Fields of Poison: California Farmworkers and Pesticides documents poor enforcement of pesticide regulations by most California County Agriculture Commissioners. After analyzing 3,991 reported cases of occupational poisonings by agricultural pesticides for 1991--1996, the authors identified that grape, cotton and broccoli crops are responsible for the highest number of farmworker poisonings in California. Fields of Poison reveals serious flaws in California's county-based system for enforcing pesticide laws. The report found that California counties with the greatest number of reported pesticide illnesses and the highest agricultural pesticide use issue the fewest fines for pesticide safety violations. These include Fresno, Kern, Tulare, San Joaquin and Monterey counties. While some County Agricultural Commissioners do conduct fairly thorough inspections and issue fines for violations quite regularly, the report concludes they are the exception rather than the rule. During 1996/1997, more than 85% of documented pesticide safety violations statewide carried no fines at all and were not recorded in permanent centralized records. "Farmworkers continue to labor in fields of poison," said Kate Hallward of UFW. "In this rich agricultural state, farmworkers are still working in unsafe conditions and for meager wages that should not be tolerated by our society." Some 600,000 farmworkers are employed in California, the state with the largest agricultural economy in the United States. Between 1991 and 1996, an average of 665 cases a year of acute pesticide poisoning incidents of farmworkers were officially reported in the state, with many more cases going unreported. Of those reported cases, 77% were caused by exposure to pesticide spray drift and from pesticide residues in the field. "Enforcement of California pesticide safety laws is clearly lacking," said Anne Katten of CRLAF. "Issuing warnings instead of fines for pesticide violations is like the California Highway Patrol handing out 'please drive safely' letters to reckless drivers." The report identifies the top 10 crops in California responsible for the highest number of reported farmworker poisoning incidents between 1991 and 1996. Topping the list are grapes, cotton and broccoli, accounting for 31% of all reported cases.
"Many consumers are choosing cruelty-free cosmetics and recycled paper. We should also be demanding food that is produced in an ethical and socially responsible way for workers," said Margaret Reeves of PAN. "We should not accept blatant disregard of farmworker health." UFW, PAN, CRLAF and CPR demanded immediate action by state agencies to reduce pesticide exposure and strengthen enforcement to protect farmworkers, including:
CPR also recommended that concerned individuals call or write Governor Davis to demand these reforms and ensure farmworker protection. Fields of Poison was released today by the Californians for Pesticide Reform coalition in news conferences throughout the state. ### To order a copy of Fields
of Poison, call CPR toll free at (888)-CPR-4880. The report is
also available on the CPR website at http://www.igc.org/cpr/ |
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