Chemical Controversies
Does glyphosate or other common herbicides endanger beneficial earthworms? New study finds ‘low risk’, with Roundup among the safest
Agrochemicals are an important component of agricultural production systems. There are increasing concerns about the effect of agrochemicals on soil ...
Thailand glyphosate ban could boost weed-control costs by $268 million, pesticide trade group says
A trade group representing pesticide firms urged Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha to delay a ban due Dec. 1 on ...
Bill reinstating neonicotinoid pesticide ban on wildlife refuges gains traction in Congress
A bill that would reinstate a regulation banning certain pesticides from wildlife refuges was approved by the House Committee on ...
Bayer faces $500 million Monsanto glyphosate-cancer class action suit in Canada
Toronto-based law firm Diamond & Diamond is spearheading a $500 million class action lawsuit against various Roundup makers, including pharmaceutical ...
Nanotechnology helps farmers battle increasingly pesticide-resistant weeds, insects with fewer chemicals
A University of Toronto graduate school project is now extending the life of widely used crop protection products. Vive Crop ...
Pesticide importers threaten lawsuit to block Thailand’s glyphosate ban, warning of serious economic impacts
Importers of three toxic farm chemicals, which are set to be officially banned from Dec 1, have vowed they will ...
Challenging media narrative about the ‘birds and the bees’—neither faces serious threats from neonicotinoids or other crop chemicals
Discarding this valuable crop protection tool is a questionable strategy ...
Podcast: Epidemiologist Geoffrey Kabat explains how junk science gets published—and how to spot it in the headlines
Bad research can put people's lives at risk, so addressing problems with peer review is essential ...
Nanosensor detects trace amounts of chemicals, helping farmers cut pesticide, fertilizer use
Good things come in small packages. Sadly, so do bad things. That’s where Iowa State University’s (ISU) Department of Mechanical ...
French Parliament: 2022 glyphosate ban falls off track as widespread weed killer use continues
IS FRANCE’S GLYPHOSATE EXIT PLAN ON TRACK? A French parliament report, published on [Nov. 13], suggests not. President Emmanuel Macron ...
EPA wants scientists to share their data: Will it promote government transparency or threaten public health?
"The Trump administration is preparing to significantly limit the scientific and medical research that the government can use to determine ...
Winter honeybee losses cut in half since 2012 as beekeepers battle deadly varroa mite
It looks as though the period of alarmingly high winter mortality in honeybees is over. And a long-term study by ...
Commonly used pesticide 1,3-D has smaller impact on soil microbes than tillage, cover crops or irrigation, study shows
It started with curiosity. How does a fumigant, commonly used for nematode management in potato cropping systems, influence soil microbial ...
Video: ‘What will I eat today’ vs. ‘will I eat today?’ – It’s time to trust African scientists (on access to GMO and gene edited crops)
It is time African governments take action ...
Eat your veggies! California testing confirms organic and conventional produce well below EPA pesticide limits
Once again, evidence that our food supply is safe and incredibly diverse ...
Neonic pesticides offer negligible benefits to farmers? ‘Nonsense,’ says Iowa soybean grower
Most people would say that life is unpredictable. We have our plans and routines, but there’s no way to tell ...
Viewpoint: Common pesticides unsafe at any dose? Here’s what’s wrong with Brazilian researcher’s ‘unsupported’ claims
Going to national media with unpublished sensationalist claims is not without consequences ...
Microbes living in plant roots fight off fungal infection, cutting need for pesticides, study shows
Micro-organisms living inside plant roots team up to boost the plant's growth and tolerance to stress. An international research team ...
Vancouver, Toronto continue to battle invasive weeds with Roundup after Health Canada rejects glyphosate-cancer link
The City of Vancouver uses the controversial Roundup herbicide. More than 42,700 Americans sued its maker, Monsanto-Bayer. They say that ...
Fifth US retailer announces plan to ‘phase out’ neonic pesticides from supply chain
Another food retailer has announced a plan to minimize its use of pesticides in a bid to help protect pollinators, ...
Study claiming neonic pesticides harm wild birds has no relevance to real-world conditions, plant geneticist argues
Capturing wild birds and force-feeding 3-10% of a lethal dose (of anything) is cruel. It’s not surprising birds would become ...
Judge dismisses false advertising lawsuit against Panera over products containing glyphosate residues
A putative class action alleging that Panera LLC’s labeling and marketing of its food products as “clean” or “100% clean” ...
Viewpoint: Anti-pesticide Environmental Working Group spreads chemophobia at taxpayer expense
.... It may sound crazy, but the federal government funds a network of activists that spew tons of needlessly alarming ...
Global consensus finds neonicotinoids not driving honeybee health problems. Why is Europe determined to ban them?
Why is Europe allowing what has been called 'a bizarrely one-sided piece of politicized science' to determine agricultural policy? ...
Bayer says glyphosate-cancer legal settlement should cap future liability, as number of lawsuits surges past 40,000
Already reeling from an avalanche of lawsuits, German agriculture and healthcare giant Bayer AG said on [October 30] the number ...
Glyphosate-cancer lawsuit tally doubles to 42,700, as settlement talks attract more plaintiffs, Bayer says
Germany’s Bayer is now facing 42,700 U.S. plaintiffs blaming its glyphosate-based weedkillers for their cancer, more than twice the tally ...
Environmental Working Group slams joint EPA-PETA effort to end pesticide testing on animals
Leaders from the Humane Society and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals flanked Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler ...