Chemical Controversies
Pesticides are substances that prevent, destroy, repel, or reduce the severity of pests. Pests are living things that occur where they are not wanted or that cause damage to humans, crops, or animals. Pests can be insects, rodents, unwanted plants, bacteria, viruses, or different types of fungus. Pesticides can vary in how toxic they are to humans and the environment. Some are persistent in the environment, animals, and birds, lasting for years; others break down soon after they are released. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants licenses, or registrations, to pesticides that it has found do not pose unreasonable risks to human health and the environment; it has registered at least 865 pesticides, which are used in thousands of pesticide products.
Below is the complete archive of related articles sorted by date.
Neonicotinoid, fipronil insecticides largely ineffective as pests develop resistance, study says
A new study raises questions about the effectiveness of the two most popular types of agricultural pesticides, noting overreliance on ...
Sri Lanka lifts ban on glyphosate herbicide after farmers protest
In its first reform act after the humiliating defeat it suffered in the local bodies elections held on February 10, ...
Viewpoint: Dissecting the Food Babe’s anti-‘natural flavors’ pseudoscience
Our good friend the Food Babe has published an interesting piece of pseudoscience writing entitled ‘Are Natural Flavors Really That ...
Farmers, environmental advocacy groups disagree on neonicotinoids’ impact on bees
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group is among the organizations lobbying the Environmental Protection Agency to ban the pesticides, known ...
Farmers, ag companies launch court challenge of California’s Prop 65 listing of glyphosate
On [Feb. 20], a national agricultural coalition presented arguments for a preliminary injunction before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern ...
Non-GMO herbicide-tolerant canola to be grown in Canada this year
Supporting modern agriculture while also selling into the market for non-genetically modified food seems like a contradiction. But an American ...
Viewpoint: Total ban on ‘bee-harming’ neonicotinoid insecticides is not the best path forward
Calls to ban ‘bee-harming pesticides’ heightened last year following the release of new field studies on the effects of neonicotinoids, ...
Biotech startup Indigo Ag aims to upend agriculture with microbiology
[David Perry, CEO of Indigo Ag, an agricultural-technology startup headquartered in Boston] sees an opportunity for Indigo Ag to lead ...
Farmers in Quebec, Canada will now have to get permission to use neonicotinoid insecticides on crops
Quebec is introducing new restrictions on pesticides considered harmful to honeybees. Under the changes, farmers will have to get permission from a certified ...
Review of Whitewash (or Hogwash?): Carey Gillam’s glyphosate book betrays science, undermines our understanding of cancer
Last fall a new book hit the shelves, timed to coincide with public hearings on the European Union’s re-authorization of ...
Anti-GMO group Moms Across America attacks food brands over trace parts per billion of glyphosate
[G]lyphosate [is] in the spotlight again as anti-GMO activist group Moms Across America released test results suggesting trace levels of ...
Viewpoint: From coffee to BPA to glyphosate, California activists misrepresent cancer risks
Coffee is only the latest example of a trend that has become all too common. Activists who profess concern for ...
Viewpoint: How European activists lobby for a glyphosate ban despite findings of its safety
In January, the European Parliament announced that it will set up a Special Committee on the Union’s authorization procedure for ...
What non-farmers should know about the risks and benefits of herbicide-resistant GMO crops
Editor's note: Graham Scoles is a plant scientist at the University of Saskatchewan While engaging in an online debate around genetically ...
Proposed California ballot initiative ignores scientific consensus on GMOs, vaccine safety
A proposed ballot initiative takes Golden State wackiness to the next level. ... This fall, Californians may have the opportunity ...
Sri Lanka’s tea industry calls on government to lift ‘arbitrary’ ban on glyphosate herbicide
In a strongly-worded statement, Sri Lanka’s tea industry stakeholders, including state-run Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB) Chairman Rohan Pethiyagoda, called ...
Herbicide resistance management strategies may not be enough to slow weeds’ evolution, UK study suggests
Editor's note: In the study, the authors note that this research contrasts current industry advice and scientific literature on herbicide resistance management ...
USDA report: Pesticide data shows US food supply ‘one of the safest in the world’
More than 20% of food sampled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2016 show no detectable pesticides and less ...
4 common myths about the supposed advantages of organic foods over GMOs
Myth 1: Organic Food Is Safer Because It Doesn’t Touch Pesticides “The levels we are exposed to are far, far ...
Chemical could boost crop yields by triggering gene to add branches and fruits
When it comes to agriculture from branched plants, such as apple trees, the more branches that bear fruit, the better ...
Is there a difference in the toxic effects of glyphosate versus herbicides like Roundup that include surfactants?
Glyphosate is rarely used on its own in the field. Herbicide formulations as a whole include a variety of other ...
Do trace levels of neonicotinoid insecticides found in waterways threaten aquatic life?
A recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey detected neonicotinoid pesticides in 10 Great Lakes tributaries throughout the year, although the levels ...
Viewpoint: How WHO’s IARC set off a global panic that threatens science and agriculture around the world
It’s not just in Europe that glyphosate divides governments: the very same molecule is responsible for a string lawsuits and ...
IARC defends methodology, ‘probably carcinogenic’ glyphosate designation against criticisms
The World Health Organization's cancer agency is firmly defending its finding that a widely used herbicide is "probably carcinogenic" despite ...
German coalition pledges GMO ban, phase out of glyphosate, expansion of organic farming
Germany’s draft coalition deal includes a goal of ending use of the weed-killer glyphosate within the country but gives no ...
Partisan divide erupts on glyphosate-cancer science as IARC supporters push ‘Monsanto Papers’ narrative
“There appear to be serious problems with the science underlying [the International Agency for Research on Cancer]’s [2015] assessment of ...
Advances in crop microbiome research could revolutionize agriculture
Editor's note: Davide Bulgarelli is a principal investigator at the University of Dundee in the UK. His research aims at understanding the ...
