Centralized, agrichemical-intensive, and ultra-processed, food systems particularly in the United States trap farmers on the pesticide treadmill and in a vicious cycle of combatting worsening climate-driven challenges like increased pest pressure and extreme weather patterns. And, on an individual level, this system exposes farmers, farmworkers, and their families to pesticides, increasing their risk for developing a host of health issues like cancer, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, fertility issues, asthma, and more.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. We can build food and farming systems that improve our lives and livelihoods while returning power to those who do the work of farming and away from giant corporations. Food sovereignty, one of the principles of agroecology, means that farmers and farmworkers retain control over their farms. This is crucial when we consider that pesticide companies are working to patent more and more genetically engineered seeds to work with their pesticides. Patenting seeds is antithetical to food access, stripping the ability of farmers to save seeds and grow native crops that work best with their environments

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