Just Label It, News Roundup 3-9

Can you avoid pesticides on foods, and is it always worth it to shell out the money for organic? Some types of produce have more pesticide residues than others, so it pays to know which ones have the most chemicals. This week a federal court hearing in San Francisco will turn a public spotlight on the science surrounding the safety of the weedkilling chemical, glyphosate, which has been linked to cancer. Also in the courts, a judge has ordered the California Department of Food and Agriculture to stop using chemical pesticides in its statewide program until the agency complies with state environmental laws. Meanwhile, in Kauai, Hawaii, Syngenta will pay $150,000 instead of the $4.8 million that had been sought for exposing local workers to pesticides. Native communities are fighting for a more inclusive farm bill, as farm policy has long ignored tribal governments and communities. And to wrap up this week’s news, another court ruling has stalled glyphosate labeling in California. A federal judge temporarily barred California environmental officials from requiring cancer warnings on food products that contain traces of the herbicide. 

Monsanto says its pesticides are safe. Now, a court wants to see the proof

On Monday, a federal court hearing in San Francisco will turn a public spotlight on to the science surrounding the safety of one of the world’s most widely used pesticides, a weedkilling chemical called glyphosate that has been linked to cancer and is commonly found in our food and water, even in our own bodily fluids. Given the broad health and environmental implications tied to the use of this pesticide, we would be well served to pay attention.

California Court Ruling Ends Decades of State Pesticide Spraying

A judge has ordered the California Department of Food and Agriculture to stop using chemical pesticides in its statewide program until the agency complies with state environmental laws.

Native Communities are Fighting for a More Inclusive Farm Bill

Farm policy has long ignored tribal governments and communities. A coalition of tribes aims to change that.

EPA Settles Syngenta Pesticide Claim For Pennies On The Dollar

The GMO company will pay $150,000 instead of the $4.8 million that had been sought for exposing Kauai workers to pesticides.

Fruits and Vegetables With the Most Pesticide Residue

Can you escape the presence of pesticides on foods, and is it always worth it to shell out the money for organics? Some produce is worse than others, so it pays to know which ones have the most chemicals.

Glyphosate cancer warning in California halted

A federal judge on Monday temporarily barred California environmental officials from requiring cancer warnings on food products that contain traces of the herbicide glyphosate.