Max Sano’s Post

Daily News: Pesticide Free Towns Taking Hold Worldwide with Growth in Europe The Hungarian city of Törökbálint is one of several dozen towns to join the European Pesticide Free Towns Network, an initiative of Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe. “In recent years, our municipality has begun to explore the possibility of tackling an increasing number of city management problems with environmentally friendly solutions,” says Sándor Elek, mayor of Törökbálint in a public statement announcing membership. “We are phasing out chemical treatments in public areas and working on the continuous information and awareness-raising of the public." In joining, each city must pledge to: ✅ Ban the use of herbicides in public areas under city/town’s control ✅ Ban the use of all pesticides in public areas under city/town’s control ✅ Extend the ban of pesticides to private areas with public access and agricultural areas next to where citizens live ✅ Step up greening efforts towards local biodiversity enhancement. With elections coming up in the European Parliament and EU member states across the continent, the importance of proactive actions local governments and towns launch to address the cascading crises of climate change, biodiversity deterioration, and public health fragility cannot be overstated. *** Advocates welcome the growing leadership role of cities and local governments, be it in the U.S. or across the EU, as national governments continue to abstain from responsibility in preventing biodiversity collapse, ongoing public health crises, and the climate emergency. In the U.S., BEYOND PESTICIDES is working with communities nationwide as part of the Parks for a Sustainable Future program, providing hands-on technical assistance in transitioning to organic land management practices. https://ow.ly/M8ha50SqgkC Image: Globetrotter19, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://ow.ly/ANw650SqgkG>, via Wikimedia Commons Daily News Blog Post: https://ow.ly/9k3O50SqgkB

🌍 Today is International No Pesticide Use Day – a critical moment to reflect on the importance of reducing pesticide reliance and promoting sustainable, climate-resilient agricultural practices. At the FAO, we support farmers, governments, and communities in implementing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies and promoting biological control methods that reduce pesticide use while safeguarding food security, human health, and biodiversity. Here’s how we’re making an impact: ✅ Capacity Development: Training farmers and experts in IPM techniques and safe pesticide handling. ✅ Policy Support: Helping countries develop regulatory frameworks for Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) and promoting environmentally sound alternatives. ✅ Innovative Solutions: Piloting biological controls and forecasting tools in crops like cotton, greenhouse vegetables, and pomegranates. ✅ Awareness Campaigns: Empowering communities to make informed decisions about plant protection and pesticide risks. Read a short story on this topic and start a conversation to foster sustainable food systems and healthier ecosystems. Here is the article: https://lnkd.in/d9uJp8as #InternationalNoPesticideUseDay #SustainableAgriculture #IntegratedPestManagement #FAO #ClimateResilience #Biodiversity

The people have spoken: toxic pesticides are harmful to people and the planet; therefore, let's elect public officials who follow suit with new policy. In the UK, Labour Party won a whopping 412 seats, ending a fifteen-year rule of the Conservative Party and policies that have undermined public health and biodiversity. Advocates are optimisitc that the new government will move to ban #neonicotinoid insecticides and glyphosate, replacing them with organic principles. Meanwhile in France, the New Popular Front - inspired by post-WWII left-wing coalition of political parties that usurped the right-wing Vichy government - won the plurality of seats on a platform that includes robust environmental protections. Time will tell what the new government will propose on pesticide policy, however the former administration announced robust target of cutting pesticide use in half by 2030 through Ecophyto 2030. France has led the charge, banning toxic pesticide use from public spaces and privately-owned public spaces back in 2022. There is also a wave of recent wins on pesticide policy in Central and South America. Bayer-Monsanto subsidiaries in Mexico withdrew their 2020 lawsuit over the proposed glyphosate and genetically engineered (GE) corn born, setting the stage for the incoming presidential administration to see through a ban on glyphosate and maintain its GE corn ban. Recently in Peru, its Congress rejected President Angel Manero's proposal to allow domestic production of GE corn and cotton into the nation until 2036 over biodiversity concern. Genetic drift, and accompanying pesticide drift, undermines the livelihoods of organic and non-synthetic farmers. All eyes will fall on France and United Kingdom this fall as new governments form and advocates continue to demand transformative changes to food systems reliant on consolidation, toxic inputs, and fossil fuels. #France #UK #EuropeanUnion #elections #pesticide #organic #Peru #Mexico

I am very happy to see my written piece has been posted on the Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC) website, summarising a session I attended while volunteering at the conference. This incredibly interesting session 'How Corporate Power and the Pesticide Industry is Blocking Progress' involved presentations on the critical work of Clare Carlile from DeSmog, Eve Gleeson from ShareAction, and Crispin D. from Unearthed, Greenpeace UK's investigative journalism unit. These are some of the key headlines from the session: ❗ The market is dominated by six pesticide producers who make up 80% of the industry, and they hide behind trade associations to legitimize their positions 💸 The pesticide industry, and 'BigAg' more widely, takes strategies from the fossil fuel industry, making false claims to cast fear and doubt, forming deep ties with lawmakers, and funnelling tens of millions into lobbying to coax inaction 🌲 This has been used to weaken the EU's Farm to Fork strategy, and resulted in the voting down of regulations to reduce pesticides in late 2023 ☠ There is a loophole in EU and UK law, within which pesticides that have been banned can still be produced within these countries and exported elsewhere, where regulation is not as stringent, knowingly placing people's lives and ecosystems at risk 🔥 The UK is the largest exporter of these Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) and since Brexit, they have failed to ban 36 pesticides in line with EU law 📝 On top of all of this, the six largest pesticide producers do not assess how their products are impacting biodiversity, and they fail to disclose crucial information about their product portfolios, impact assessment methods, and value chains Pesticides, whether they have been marked as HHPs or not, contain chemical ingredients to kill pests and control weeds, but this can be toxic to other organisms such as mammals and beneficial insects, harming the wider ecosystem, soil structure, non-target plants, air, water, and human health. This places long-term food security at risk by compromising key ecosystem functions. You can explore their work in greater depth either via their organisations websites or links provided throughout the attached article. I also recommend anyone interested in these topics to attend ORFC next year, either online or in-person. The session was hosted by Pesticide Action Network UK and RSPB. https://lnkd.in/dvcMiCiX

Daily News: France, UK Elections Indicate Turning Point for Pesticide Regulation on the Global Stage National election results in the United Kingdom (UK) and France have shocked the world amidst concerns of a rising tide of right-wing authoritarianism in the European Parliament, trending toward an initially perceived as a conservative majority. UK citizens overwhelmingly voted for the center-left pollinator-friendly Labour Party, which won an unprecedented margin of 291 seats. France, meanwhile, faces an interesting future. While no party earned a clear majority to form a new government at the time of posting, there are opportunities to build on existing momentum with a broad coalition of elected officials. [France has previously demonstrated leadership in protecting the public from exposure, being the first European country to enforce a strict ban on use in public landscapes and private lawns routinely used by the public.] The European Union (EU) plays an integral leadership role in the production and distribution of pesticides to nations around the world. Recognizing the importance of EU member states in developing comprehensive policies, given the U.S. deferment to corporate interests, offers an opportunity for broader systemic change versus incremental inertia on the pesticide treadmill. 📌 For more information on the state of organic agriculture in the EU, please see BEYOND PESTICIDES' Daily News, "Planting the Seeds of Change: Why the European Union Struggles to Meet 2030 Organic Farming Target." https://ow.ly/P6Mf50SEBL4 Daily News Blog Post: https://ow.ly/feHL50SEBL7

How to use pesticides sustainably has been a growing concern within the EU. Many stakeholders are involved, from the agrochemical industry to policymakers, farmers and citizens, and achieving targets to reduce pesticide use has been difficult. Our Centre for Futures and Foresight looked at scenarios on how pesticide use might change from now to 2030 and beyond. Findings included: 🌱 Alternatives like biological pest control, organic practices and precision agriculture could reduce pesticide use in some crops. Research must translate effectively into action, supported by policy. 🌱 As populations grow, it's important to consider how farmers can adapt further to meet consumer demand while staying competitive. 🌱 Large multinational companies can play an important role in sustainability. However, if future agriculture is driven mostly by business concerns, there's a risk that social issues won't receive enough consideration and support. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eb-ks8ar #pesticides #sustainability #food #farming #EUfarmers #EUsustainability #EUgreenpolicy #EUpesticides #futures #FutureOfFood #agriculture #EUagriculture #SustainableAgriculture

EPA Takes Emergency Action To Stop Use of Dangerous Pesticide: An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Washington Post: For the first time in 40 years, the Environmental Protection Agency has taken emergency action to stop the use of a pesticide (source may be paywalled; alternative source) linked to serious health risks for unborn babies. Tuesday's emergency order applies to dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, also known as DCPA, a weedkiller used on crops such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and onions. When pregnant farmworkers and others are exposed to the pesticide, their babies can experience changes to fetal thyroid hormone levels, which are linked to low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ and impaired motor skills later in life. "DCPA is so dangerous that it needs to be removed from the market immediately," Michal Freedhoff, assistant administrator for the EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, said in a statement. "It's EPA's job to protect people from exposure to dangerous chemicals. In this case, pregnant women who may never even know they were exposed could give birth to babies that experience irreversible lifelong health problems." The European Union banned DCPA in 2009. But the EPA has been slower to act, frustrating some environmental and public health advocates. In an interview, Freedhoff said that EPA scientists have tried for years to get more information on health risks from the sole manufacturer of the pesticide, AMVAC Chemical. But she said the company refused to turn over the data, including a study on the effects of DCPA on thyroid development and function, until November 2023. "We did make some good-faith efforts to work with the company," Freedhoff said. "But in the end, we didn't think any of the measures proposed by the company would be implementable, enforceable or effective." "DCPA has been used in the United States since the late 1950s," notes the report. "After the pesticide is applied, it can linger in the soil, contaminating crops later grown in those fields, including broccoli, cilantro, green onions, kale and mustard greens." "The emergency order Tuesday temporarily suspends all registrations of the pesticide under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. The agency plans to permanently suspend these registrations within the next 90 days." Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Daily News: Take Action—Elimination of the Insecticide Is Both a Public Health and Ecosystem Issue [Please submit comments by Wednesday, July 31!] Acephate, an insecticide and member of the organophosphate (OP) family, is so toxic that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to ban all uses except the systemic injection into trees. With this remaining use, EPA is still not recognizing that systemic neonicotinoid pesticides can cause serious environmental harm to the ecosystem through indiscriminate poisoning of organisms. As BEYOND PESTICIDES points out, out, although the tree injection method does not pose excessive dietary or aggregate health risk, there are ecological risks that the agency has neglected. Rather than assessing the ecological risks of tree injection uses, the agency assumes that the use does not pose significant risk to nontarget organisms. On the contrary, the tree injection uses do pose serious risks to pollinator and certain bird species that cannot be mitigated and should therefore be included in the acephate cancellations. Take action today >> Submit a comment on acephate and tell EPA that no pesticide should be allowed to be used if the crop can be produced organically. https://ow.ly/utXl50Sx70i Daily News Blog Post: https://ow.ly/rhM250Sx70k

EU PLAN TO HALVE PESTICIDE USE WITHDRAWN IN FACE OF FARMERS OPPOSITION On 6 February 2024, in the face of strong opposition from farmers in the EU and their trade bodies such as COPA COGECA, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the abandonment of the proposed Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products Regulation, which contained the Commission’s aim to halve pesticide use. This had been an important part of the Commission’s ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy and its Green Deal. A commitment to reduce the overall risk of pesticides by half by 2030 was also agreed by parties to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022, with strong support from the European Union. It is unclear how that will be delivered. Meanwhile in the UK the National Action Plan on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides has yet to be published, three years after the consultation closed, and it is estimated that 36 pesticides are on the market in the UK which are banned in the EU. This article considers some aspects of the evidence of pesticide impacts on human health and biodiversity, which are less well represented in the current polarised political climate around farming in Europe. Pesticide Action Network UK Wildlife and Countryside Link RSPB The Wildlife Trusts https://lnkd.in/dFp-mW5G

Officials have failed to block a single pesticide under EU laws that were put in place 22 years ago to protect crashing insect populations, according to an independent review. For over two decades, officials in Brussels have sidestepped the law and authorised dozens of pesticide compounds by following guidelines written with the help of major agrochemical firms, the report by the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe found. The guidelines give a green light to pesticides that cause staggering losses of insects, spiders, beetles, butterflies, and other arthropod bugs. In some regions of Europe, insect biomass has declined by an alarming 75 per cent over approximately 25 years, PAN Europe reports. https://lnkd.in/grTu67Db