| Pesticide Action Network

Holding strong to the Senate Farm Bill

Last week, the U.S. Senate passed its version of the 2018 Farm Bill by a vote of 86-11. While still flawed, the Senate bill is much better than the widely criticized House version of the bill, which narrowly passed a week prior.

Now the Farm Bill will go on to conference where the two versions will be reconciled into one final bill — and along with partners we’re pressing for the preservation of the Senate version of the bill, rather than retreating to the House version.

Jul 2, 2018

Margaret Reeves

Decades of deceit on glyphosate

It's been clear for years that the pesticide industry has too much influence on public officials and the policies they set. Veteran journalist Carey Gillam’s new book Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer and the Corruption of Science digs into one egregious example of this: Monsanto’s (now Bayer) aggressive efforts to protect their RoundUp Ready seed and pesticide empire.

Jun 28, 2018

Pesticide Actio...

We have work to do.

Last week, after an early morning call with international colleagues, I had a moment to chat with my friend Susan from PAN Germany. She asked what in the world is going on in the U.S. these days.

It was hard to know where to begin. The constant firehose of chaos and crisis that is now our national politics is so exhausting — and the root causes so complex and deep — that describing “what’s going on” is no simple thing.

But one thing is very clear: we have work to do.

Jun 28, 2018

Kristin Schafer

Farm Bill: Will the Senate seize the opportunity to lead?

The widely criticized House version of the 2018 Farm Bill, HR2, narrowly passed in the House late last week. This version of the bill fails to invest in sustainable farming or rural and urban communities across the country. A better (but still flawed) version of the Farm Bill is expected to be taken up in the Senate this week.

Jun 26, 2018

Pesticide Actio...

For beekeepers, the "new normal" is unacceptable

Last month, the Bee Informed Partnership (BIP) published results from their annual survey of managed honey bee colony losses in the United States. With the combination of increased overall pathogen load, poor nutrition, habitat loss and pesticide exposure all contributing to bee declines, the results were — unsurprisingly — not comforting.

Jun 20, 2018

Pesticide Actio...

Guest blog: A look into glyphosate and soil health

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s RoundUp, has been labeled by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer as a “probable human carcinogen.” Given the probable impacts of glyphosate on humans it isn’t a stretch to think that it would also be toxic to soil biology, right?

Jun 14, 2018

Brittani Gallagher

Keeping an eye on dicamba

Last year, the dicamba drift crisis defined the growing season across the U.S. — damaging an estimated 3.6 million acres of crops. In the months following, PAN, farmers and partner organizations have been taking action and tracking options for how best to avoid another catastrophic dicamba experience in 2018.

Jun 14, 2018

Pesticide Actio...

Historic: Hawai‘i enacts first U.S. ban on chlorpyrifos

Hawai'i made history today when Governor David Ige, watched by representatives of the community from across the islands, signed into law Senate Bill 3095, banning all uses of chlorpyrifos, a neurotoxic pesticide that has been shown to harm children and has been found in food, air and drinking water. The high-profile pesticide was slated for a ban, but under Scott Pruitt’s Environmental Protection Agency, the planned ban was reversed.

Jun 13, 2018

Pesticide Actio...

A bumpy ride for Minnesota bees

As the Minnesota legislature adjourned last week, I was left with mixed feelings of disappointment and hope for Minnesota pesticide legislation.

Going into this legislative session PAN and our allies knew that we would be playing a tough game of defense. What we didn’t expect? While legislators had a field day attacking clean water, air, and pipeline protections, we witnessed some key tone shifts for pollinators. We also recognized some old tactics from the industry playbook — and boldly called them out.

May 31, 2018

Willa Childress

Farm Bill opposition couldn't be ignored

HR 2, the House version of the 2018 Farm Bill, went to the House floor for a vote on May 18, and failed. PAN was one of more than 500 organizations who voiced opposition to the House bill, including farmer organizations, advocates for rural communities and hunger and social justice groups.

May 22, 2018

admin