New science shows bee-killing pesticides are unnecessary on most farms. Alternatives to neonicotinoid insecticide seed coatings are available, which save farmers money and better protect the environment. Honeybees are attracted to a fungicide used in agriculture with “unsettling implications” for global food production, a scientist said Tuesday. Dozens of species have seen their numbers decline, in some cases by two-thirds, because insects they feed on have disappeared. In fact, a study found that insecticides may have caused the decline in hummingbird populations. Despite the extensive cultivation of genetically engineered maize and a considerable number of scientific reports on its agro-environmental impact, the risks and benefits of GE maize are still being debated, and concerns about safety remain, according to a meta-analysis of 21 years of field data. Over 90 percent of pregnant women had detectable levels of glyphosate in an Indiana birth cohort study on glyphosate exposure. Meanwhile, in California, a proposed rule to protect children from pesticide exposure would require a buffer of a one-quarter mile around schools and childcare facilities where the use of agricultural pesticides is limited.
New Science Shows Bee-Killing Pesticides Are Unnecessary on Most Farms
Alternatives are available for neonicotinoid insecticide seed coatings, saving farmers money and better protecting the environment.
Honey bees’ attraction to fungicide “unsettling” for food output – study
Honeybees are attracted to a fungicide used in agriculture with “unsettling implications” for global food production, a scientist said on Tuesday.
‘Catastrophe’ as France’s bird population collapses due to pesticides
Dozens of species have seen their numbers decline, in some cases by two-thirds, because insects they feed on have disappeared.
Insecticide found in same B.C. hummingbirds that are in decline
‘No one has ever measured pesticides in hummingbirds before. So we decided to try it,’ says scientist.
Despite the extensive cultivation of genetically engineered (GE) maize and a considerable number of scientific reports on its agro-environmental impact, the risks and benefits of GE maize are still being debated and concerns about safety remain.
Over 90% of pregnant women had detectable glyphosate. From the study’s conclusion: “This is the first study of GLY [glyphosate] exposure in US pregnant women using urine specimens as a direct measure of exposure. We found that >90% of pregnant women had detectable GLY [glyphosate] levels and that these levels correlated significantly with shortened pregnancy lengths.”
Protecting children from pesticide exposure
California has proposed a rule to protect children from pesticide exposure by requiring a buffer of 0.25 miles around schools and childcare facilities where use of agricultural pesticides are limited.
Number of toxic chemicals applied to vegetables has risen 17 fold since the 1960s
The number of chemicals applied to supermarket vegetable crops has increased by up to 17 fold in 40 years, data shows, as the organic food industry and scientists have warned that consumers are exposed to a “toxic cocktail” of pesticides.
