Common food additive associated with type 2 diabetes risk
By Grace van Deelen
Chemical compounds commonly used to cure ham, bacon and other meats are associated with type 2 diabetes risk, according to new research.
chemicals
Amid energy policy debates, a battle over a natural gas pipeline in Appalachia
When developers first approached West Virginia farmer Maury Johnson in 2015 seeking to bury part of a 303-mile-long natural gas pipeline on his property, Johnson was not eager to comply. But with eminent domain laws giving Johnson few options to oppose the move, developers began construction a few hundred feet from his house in 2018.
New study sees link between pesticide and arthritis
By Grace van Deelen
Exposure to a commonly used pesticide could put people at higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to a new study.
EPA confirms PFAS can leach from shipping containers into food, other products
By Shannon Kelleher
Toxic chemicals knowns as PFAS leach from the walls of shipping containers into the products they contain, potentially contaminating food, pesticides, and other products transported all over the world, according to study by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Citing “irreversible harm,” lawmaker introduces bill to ban class of pesticides
By Carey Gillam
US Rep. Nydia Velazquez on Tuesday introduced a bill that would ban organophosphates in food production, citing harm to children, farmworkers and other vulnerable communities exposed to the group of chemicals.
Guest column: Setting the stage for a food system transformation
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) new $300 million Organic Transition Initiative offers meaningful investments in climate-friendly farming that meet urgent needs of communities across the country.
Guest column: Prioritize children’s health above agribusiness profits
Many decades ago, my mother-in-law set an example I aim to follow: As an activist challenging certain government policies, she centered all her work on a foundational question: Is it good for the children?
Guest column: Farmers Need Safe, Effective Pesticides, Including Chlorpyrifos
Our food supply needs pesticides – it’s as simple as that. Without access to these tools, US and global agriculture could not sustainably feed the world. Furthermore, attempts to do so would likely lead to environmental catastrophe. It is true that some production methods, such as organic, may use fewer pesticides than conventional agriculture—although, even organic producers can and do use some pesticides.
PFAS testing needed for people with elevated exposures, US science advisors warn
US government health agencies need to move quickly to launch broad testing of people exposed to types of toxic chemicals known as PFAS to help evaluate and treat people who may suffer PFAS-related health problems, according to a report issued today by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM).
As farmers struggle with PFAS ‘forever chemicals,’ Maine races for solutions
For the past 18 years, Maine farmer Bill Pluecker has worked long hours tending to his family’s organic vegetable farm, growing crops he sells directly to consumers through a community agricultural program.