USA Food Quality, Awareness, and Activism

United Nations experts have recommended that two pesticides be added to a trade “watch list” under a UN-backed treaty aimed at helping poorer countries more effectively manage potentially harmful imported substances.  

A number of recent tests have revealed the astonishing degree to which the non-organic fruits and vegetables on grocery store shelves are contaminated with dangerous pesticides. A test conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found traces of more than 50 different pesticides on peaches destined for U.S. stores. Five of the compounds were found at levels higher than those considered safe by the Environmental Protection agency, and six...  

In today’s “gross news” category, some female insects might be getting lucky. As an alternative to toxic pesticides, scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have created “super-sexed” sterilized male leafhoppers to knock bug boots with females in the wild. Yes, that means that the female bugs will miss out on the joys of motherhood, [...]  

The government wants to improve the safety of spot-on pesticide products for cats and dogs. Rebecca Williams reports on the problems these products are causing, and what the EPA wants companies to do. And…As state governments mandate power companies to...  

DUBLIN - Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/67eba7/china_pesticides) has announced the addition of the China Pesticides & Other Agro-Chemical Products Industry Profile - ISIC2421 report to their offering. Provides key data and concise analy  

By Kathleen SutcliffeBe the 10 Billionth Person to Tweet (About Pesticides) Saving the world 140 characters at a timeThis Twitter push comes in the final days of EPA's public comment period on our coalition's proposal to ban spraying near homes, schools, playgrounds and other places where kids live, learn, and play. EPA's Public Comment deadline is tomorrow (3/5).The microblogging site Twitter is poised to hit a major milestone: sometime today...  

by Tom Laskawy Yale’s Environment360 has a new must-read report by Sonia Shah linking pesticides to the high-profile die-offs among amphibians, bees, and bats. What makes this news timely isn’t necessarily the toxicity of the pesticides per se, it’s the indirect effects on these animals of chronic, low-dose exposure to chemicals:In the past dozen years, no fewer than three never-before-seen diseaseshave decimated populations of amphibians...  

Washington, Dec 27 (ANI): A team of Canadian scientists has developed a fast, inexpensive ‘dipstick’ test to identify small amounts of pesticides that may exist in foods and beverages. John Brennan and colleagues say their paper-strip test is more practical than conventional pesticide tests, producing results in minutes rather than hours by means of an [...]  

Pesticides are agents designed to rid targeted portions of the human environment of undesirable critters - such as boll weevils, roaches or carpenter ants. They're not supposed to harm beneficials. Like bees. Yet a new study from China finds that two widely used pyrethroid pesticides - chemicals that are rather "green" as bug killers go - can significantly impair the pollinators' reproduction. Both chemicals are widely used in North...  

Two state legislators are pushing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take quick action on its plan to mandate disclosure of all ingredients in pesticides. Assemblyman Bill Monning, D-Carmel, and state Sen.  

NUSA DUA, 25 February 2010 (IRIN) - The use of hazardous pesticides in Asian countries has exposed communities across the region to unacceptably high health risks, according to a study conducted by th...  

The EPA has violated the Endangered Species Act by failing to consult with wildlife regulatory agencies about the impacts of pesticides on hundreds of protected species that are threatened by pesticide use.  

Chemicals derived from flowers may sound harmless, but new research raises concerns about compounds synthesized from chrysanthemums that are used in virtually every household pesticide . [More]  

It is time to give up pesticidesAbbotsford TimesPesticides might make life easier for the average gardener or homeowner, but at what cost to their health, and the natural world under their feet? ...Push for pesticide law nowChilliwack Timesall 2 news articles »  

Adulterate seeds, pesticides damage potato farmers' hopesThe New NationMost of the potato farmers are using various types of pesticides and insecticides to control the late blight disease. But, those are not working well. ...