Whole Foods has joined a growing trend in the grocery retail industry addressing threats to biodiversity by becoming the thirteenth company on Friends of the Earth’s Bee-Friendly Retailer Scorecard to establish a pollinator policy addressing toxic pesticides in its supply chain.

“Whole Foods’ policy is an important step in a moment when 40% of insect pollinators face extinction,” said Kendra Klein, PhD, senior staff scientist at Friends of the Earth. “After another year of devastating losses to bees, food retailers must accelerate their commitment to protect pollinators by setting measurable goals to eliminate bee-toxic pesticides in their food supply.”

Pollinator loss threatens food security in an already fragile supply chain. U.S. beekeepers reported among the highest annual losses ever recorded last year. Research indicates that pollinator loss has already resulted in decreased production of key crops like apples, cherries and tomatoes in the United States.

Whole Foods’ policy requires fresh produce and floral suppliers to adopt Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices by 2025. Suppliers may work with designated third-party certifications with meaningful IPM criteria or submit a legal attestation confirming that they adhere to the requirements of the policy.

In an industry vulnerable to climate change and biodiversity loss, IPM guides farmers to use ecological methods that support the overall sustainability of their land. IPM can reduce use of pesticides by requiring farmers to use non-chemical approaches to manage pests first, such as rotating crops, planting resistant varieties and fostering beneficial insects.

The policy also encourages produce suppliers to phase out the use of the most concerning neonicotinoid pesticides. Research shows that U.S. agriculture has become 48 times more toxic to bees and other insects since the advent of neonicotinoid use three decades ago. In addition, the policy prohibits the use of nitroguanidine neonicotinoids in potted plants – a move aligning the company with the over 140 garden retailers and plant nurseries that have made similar commitments.

Whole Foods’ policy highlights the importance of organic production in the protection of pollinators, stating that the company has “long championed pollinator health through our commitment to organic production.” Organic agriculture is based on robust IPM practices, and the organic certification prohibits the use of over 900 pesticides, including those of highest concern for the health of pollinators and people, such as neonicotinoids, organophosphates and glyphosate. Research shows that organic farming can help pollinators thrive.

The same pesticides that threaten pollinators also harm human health, including the farmworkers and rural communities on the frontlines of exposure. These widely used chemicals also threaten the soil life that is central to regenerative farming approaches that enhance farmers’ resilience to climate change, conserve water and improve soil’s ability to sequester carbon.

Expert Contact: Kendra Klein, Friends of the Earth, 415-350-5957, Kklein@foe.org

Communications Contact: Haven Bourque, 415-505-3473, haven@havenbmedia.com

The post New Policy: Major Grocery Retailer Whole Foods Market Addresses Toxic Pesticides to Protect Pollinators appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

The same pesticides that threaten biodiversity are also linked to climate change. They are petrochemicals that are energy-intensive to produce, and they threaten the soil organisms that are central to building healthy soils that can sequester carbon and enhance farmers’ resilience to climate change. They also harm human health, including farmworkers and rural communities on the frontlines of exposure.   

While Giant Eagle improved its score from a B to B+ this year, four companies lost points for not reporting meaningful progress toward meeting the goals stated in their pollinator health policies: Albertsons (NYSE: ACI), Costco (NASDAQ: COST), Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD), and Target (NYSE: TGT). 

Giant Eagle is the only major U.S. food retailer to make a timebound commitment to eliminate key pesticides of concern in part of its supply chain. According to the company’s policy, it will eliminate the use of nitroguanidine neonicotinoids — banned in the EU since 2018 but still allowed in the U.S. — from its produce supply chain by 2025. Research shows that U.S. agriculture has become 48 times more toxic to bees and other beneficial insects since neonicotinoids were introduced in the 1990s.  

“Amid rising concern about an insect apocalypse decimating the small but mighty pollinators responsible for one in three bites of food we eat, grocery retailers are beginning to step up to address the pervasive use of toxic pesticides in their supply chains,” said Kendra Klein, deputy director of science at Friends of the Earth. “But bees are dying at astonishing rates. Retailers must take immediate, measurable action to address their role in the biodiversity crisis.” 

Food retailers have significant economic power to change the food system. Together, the 25 evaluated companies control over $1.78 trillion in food and beverage sales annually. The four largest — Walmart (NYSE: WMT), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Costco and Kroger (NYSE: KR) — controlled $1.02 trillion in 2022.    

The Scorecard also evaluates companies on organic offerings. Organic regulations prohibit the use of over 900 synthetic pesticides, including highly hazardous chemicals like neonicotinoids, organophosphates and glyphosate. Only two of the companies — Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s — have organic offerings that exceed 15% of overall sales, a goal Friends of the Earth is asking all major retailers to meet by 2025.  

Pollinators are a cornerstone to a dependable food supply, contributing approximately $34 billion to the U.S. economy and up to $577 billion to the global economy annually. Research indicates that pollinator loss has already resulted in decreased production of crops like apples and cherries.  

The Bee-Friendly Retailer campaign is supported by over 100 beekeeping, farming, farmworker, consumer and environmental organizations, including Campaign for Healthier Solutions, which works with the dollar stores on phasing out harmful chemicals. 

Expert contact: Kendra Klein, PhD, (415) 350-5957, kklein@foe.org 
Communications contact: Haven Bourque, (415) 505-3473, haven@havenbmedia.com  

The post New Scorecard Reveals U.S. Food Retailers Fail to Protect Bees and Biodiversity appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

The release of live genetically engineered microbes in agriculture represents an unprecedented open-air genetic experiment. The scale of release is far larger and the odds of containment far smaller than for genetically engineered crops.   

This report provides historical context for this novel technology, insight into future trends, a summary of potential risks, and policy recommendations that would ensure robust assessment and oversight as more genetically engineered microbes move from the lab to the field.  

Read the executive summary
Read the full report
Read the press release

What types of microbes are being genetically engineered for agriculture?  

Bacteria, viruses and fungi are being genetically engineered for agricultural uses with bacteria being the most common.   

Why are microbes important?  

Microbes are tiny living things that are found all around us — they live in water, soil, air and plants as well as in human and other animal bodies. A handful of healthy soil contains more microbes than there are people on the planet. Microbes play a fundamental role in agriculture, making nutrients available to plants and boosting crop immunity to pests and diseases. They are also major engines of soil carbon sequestration, which gives them a significant role in the soil’s potential to help mitigate climate change, conserve water resources, and build resilience to droughts and floods. 

What genetically engineered microbes have been commercialized for agriculture?  

At least two live GE microbes are already being used on millions of acres of U.S. farmland — a nitrogen-fixing GE bacteria from Pivot Bio called Proven® and BASF’s ‘2.0’ version of its Poncho®/VOTiVO® seed treatment, which combines a GE microbe that aims to improve plant health with a neonicotinoid insecticide and a non-GE microbial nematicide. The Environmental Protection Agency’s website states that it has registered eight GE microbes as pesticides. However, the regulatory system is marked by such a profound lack of transparency that there is no publicly available information on what they are or whether they have been commercialized. 

What are biologicals? 

Genetic engineering is not needed to harness the power of microbes. Hundreds of naturally-derived microbes — known as ‘biologicals’ — are available for use in agriculture already, as biostimulants to improve plant growth, biofertilizers to improve crop nutrition, and biopesticides to manage pests and diseases. Billions of unexplored microbes can be a source of discovery and benefit for generations to come without the use of genetic engineering.

Which pesticide companies are investing in biologicals? 

The global biologicals market is expected to nearly triple in a span of eight years to $29.31 billion by 2029. A major driver is the entry of the largest agrichemical companies — Bayer, Syngenta (ChemChina), Corteva (Dow-Dupont) and BASF. These companies have spent millions acquiring biologicals companies in recent years and now offer a range of biological products. 

We urgently need a shift in agriculture from the dominant chemical paradigm to a biological paradigm. Use of toxic chemical pesticides and fertilizers continues to rise, underpinning industrial agriculture systems that have devastating impacts on ecosystems, communities and public health. Biologicals may be able to play a significant role in helping farmers transition to organic and other ecologically regenerative and resilient systems. At the same time, the entry of massive agrichemical companies into the field, and their interest in genetically engineering microbes, raises red flags. The creation and distribution of genetically engineered crops has infamously been controlled by these same corporations, which have a long track record of disregarding the massive environmental and human health impacts of their products, disenfranchising family-scale farmers, obfuscating the truth about their products and obstructing regulations.   

Why should we be concerned about genetically engineered soil microbes? 

The report details a range of ecological, human health and socioeconomic risks, from the rare but potentially disastrous risk of creating an invasive species or novel human pathogen to the potential for agrichemical corporations to use patents on GE microbes to further entrench their ownership over life and the food system.  

The gaps in our knowledge and limitations of our ability to predict or control the outcomes of this novel technology are profound and varied. Soil microbiomes are marked by incredible complexity that we are only beginning to understand. Of the billions of species of microbes that make up the living soil, only a few hundred thousand, far less than one percent, have been scientifically characterized in detail.  

Unlike plants and animals, microbes are able to share genetic material with each other far more readily, even across completely unrelated organisms in a process known as horizontal gene transfer. As a result, the genetic modifications released inside genetically engineered microbes may move across species boundaries in unpredictable ways.  

Genetic engineering, including gene editing techniques like CRISPR, can result in an array of unintended genetic consequences, including insertions, deletions, inversions and translocations that were not expected. And when we attempt to intentionally alter soil microbiomes, there is no guarantee that the outcomes will be what we intend. Releasing genetically engineered microbes in agriculture could enable new associations to form with weed or pest species with unforeseen and potentially irreparable consequences. 

What is the state of the U.S. regulatory system related to genetically engineered microbes in agriculture? 

The current U.S. regulatory system for genetically engineered microbes for use in agriculture is inadequate and outdated. Existing regulations do not account for the unique features and risks of GE microbes  — live organisms that can reproduce and quickly spread across state and national borders. And authority is split between the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Agriculture, creating confusion and gaps in oversight.  

The regulatory system is also marked by an extreme lack of transparency. Companies are able to redact almost all details from public view in most regulatory filings under the self-designation of ‘Confidential Business Information.’ Even these redacted records are difficult to access and not clearly identified with the end products in which they appear. Once products are released, there is no program dedicated to surveilling the extent of their use or re-evaluating their safety over time. 

Given the serious potential risks associated with mass environmental release of genetically engineered microbes, it is imperative that civil society, farmers, and concerned scientists push for strong regulations and independent review and assessment of potential health and environmental risks. A far greater level of transparency is also fundamental to our ability to grapple, as a society, with the potential risks of this novel technology. 

Regulatory bodies should use the Precautionary Principle to guide action, meaning that precautionary measures to minimize or avoid threats to human health or the environment should be taken based on the weight of the available scientific evidence rather than waiting for full scientific certainty about cause and effect, which can take years or decades while harm accrues. The Precautionary Principle also elevates the importance of a full evaluation of safer approaches before moving ahead with a potentially risky new technology. Oversight should include independent assessment for public health and environmental safety, and long-term impacts should be assessed before products are released onto the market or into the environment. The Precautionary Principle also guides the incorporation of public input into decision-making processes, as the impacts of new technologies such as GE microbes in agriculture will be borne by society as a whole. Finally, socioeconomic concerns arising from the expansion of corporate property rights over microbes must be incorporated into decision-making before products are commercialized.

The post Genetically Engineered Soil Microbes: Risks and Concerns appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

Decades of science has clearly linked chlorpyrifos to brain damage in children, in addition to threatening the health of farmworkers and more than 1,200 endangered species. The EPA has banned use of chlorpyrifos on food crops and in certain indoor settings.  

“Connecticut has stepped up where the EPA has dragged its feet”, said Jason Davidson, Senior Food and Agriculture Campaigner with Friends of the Earth. “This bill will keep chlorpyrifos out of places that directly affect our communities, and provide safeguards for bees and other pollinators. We are thrilled to see Connecticut continue to lead in protecting people and the environment from toxic pesticides.” 

“I was proud to support the legislation banning the toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos,” said State Representative Cristin McCarthy Vahey (District 133), “I was moved not only as a lawmaker but also as a person whose father is fighting Parkinson’s disease due to his exposure to toxic pesticides during the Vietnam War. We, as elected officials, must continue to take steps to regulate pesticides known to harm human health, pollinators and the planet.”  

“By taking further action on chlorpyrifos, the Connecticut legislature is acknowledging that EPA decisions are not adequately protective of public health and the environment,” said Drew Toher, Community Resource and Policy Director at Beyond Pesticides. “We urge lawmakers to continue this work by eliminating toxic pesticide use that puts resident and worker health, and the fragile ecology we rely upon in danger.” 

“Advocates have been working to ban chlorpyrifos in CT for over four years. Given the opposition in past years, the unanimous vote in the House and the Senate is proof that opinions surrounding pesticide use is shifting,” said Tara Cook-Littman, an Environmental Advocate in Connecticut. “We must continue the important work of educating legislators and the public about the health and environmental impact of toxic pesticides.” 

Communications contact: Kerry Skiff, (202) 222-0723, kskiff@foe.org 

The post Connecticut Bans Brain-Damaging Chlorpyrifos appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

Imagine walking into your favorite grocery store and seeing a nearly empty produce section. This could be a reality if we don’t end the use of toxic pesticides in our food system soon. Scientists warn that many pollinators and other insects could go extinct within a century and that this “insect apocalypse” threatens a major collapse of nature’s ecosystems. 

Friends of the Earth and our allies are leading a campaign to push the largest U.S. grocery retailers to save the bees and other beneficial insects that help farmers grow food. This campaign calls for the end of the use of pollinator-toxic pesticides in U.S grocery retailers’ supply chains and increasing bee-friendly organic offerings. Not only is this necessary for our future food security, it’s critical to grocery retailers’ bottom line. 

Why are bees important? Without pollinators, grocery stores would run short of a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables, nuts, beans, and delicious favorites like chocolate and coffee. And because bees pollinate alfalfa and other crops eaten by cows, even the dairy and meat cases would look bare. In fact, 71 of the 100 crops that provide 90% of the world’s food are pollinated by bees.

We’ve asked Kroger, the largest traditional grocery chain in the U.S., to stop selling food that’s grown with bee-killing pesticides. And the good news is, Kroger took an important first step and established a pollinator health policy. However, the policy fails to set any measurable targets to reduce pesticides or expand organic and other ecological farming methods in Kroger’s supply chain, and the company hasn’t taken further action since. As a result, Kroger dropped from 7^th to 12^th place on this year’s Bee-Friendly Retailer Scorecard, where we grade 25 of the largest U.S. food retailers on protecting pollinators from pesticides. Kroger now falls behind competitors like Costco, Albertsons, and even Dollar Tree. 

Kroger could follow the lead of companies like Giant Eagle and Walmart,which this year made timebound commitments to protect pollinators. Giant Eagle will eliminate the most concerning bee-toxic neonicotinoid pesticides — imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam and dinotefuran — from its produce supply by 2025. These chemicals have been banned in the European Union but are still allowed in the U.S. And both Giant Eagle and Walmart will require produce growers to start using ecological farming methods, known as integrated pest management (IPM), by 2025 and to provide proof with third party certification. 

Kroger has the power to dramatically reduce the use of toxic pesticides in its supply chain and to help save pollinators. As a company that controlled $1.32 billion in food and beverage sales in 2020, it can decide any day to start taking meaningful action to protect pollinators, protect our planet, and protect the health of our children and families. Instead, Kroger is dragging its feet while time runs out for pollinators and the planet. 

What’s more, many of the same pesticides in Kroger’s supply chain that harm bees also threaten human health.  Independent testing found that Kroger store-brand foods are contaminated with pesticide, including glyphosate, organophosphates, and neonicotinoids. The tested foods include those that kids and families typically eat, like cereal, apples, applesauce, spinach, and pinto beans. 

There is hope. Science shows that eating organic food dramatically reduces exposure to the pesticides in food, and it also helps bees and other beneficial insects flourish. That’s because organic farmers are prohibited from using over 900 pesticides otherwise allowed in agriculture. Instead, they work with nature to keep crops healthy and manage pests.

Each day, we are seeing more and more people like you urging stores like Kroger to step up and help save the bees. And you are not alone: according to recent polling, 74% of Americans believe that grocery stores should support efforts to protect pollinators. And 83% believe it is important to eliminate pesticides that are harmful to pollinators from agriculture.

Kroger needs to hear from people across the country that we want change. Together, we can create a healthier food system for pollinators, for our environment, and for our families. 

We can’t let another year pass where Kroger fails to protect the pollinators that our food supply depends on! Let’s ramp up the pressure!

The post It’s time for Kroger to step up to help save the bees appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

Every year, 80 million pounds of pesticides are used on U.S. lawns to maintain attractive, lush greenery. In many cities across the country, Latinx immigrant workers are the primary labor force responsible for lawn care. These maintenance and landscape workers, or jardineros, bear the brunt of residential pesticide use. The impacts are largely under-examined despite the fact that lawn pesticide use can be up to 10 times more intensive per acre than farms. As the demand for residential lawn maintenance grows, exposure rates are likely to increase as well, demonstrating that pristine lawns come at a high cost, especially for the most marginalized workers. 

There are an estimated 872,370, landscape workers in the U.S.,  mostly concentrated in the cities of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Miami. Each state has its own set of pesticide regulations that govern use of pesticides for professional landscaping, yet it can be difficult to ensure pesticides are consistently applied within a “safe” threshold. Due to the informal nature of the jardinero economy across the U.S., with complex social and cultural dynamics at play, it is nearly impossible to capture the full scope of the industry or to quantify workers’ pesticide use and exposure.  

A recent toxicology analysis conducted by Beyond Pesticides and Friends of the Earth brings to light just how toxic many of the lawn care products are that jardineros commonly use. The analysis found that half of the weed killers sold at the largest home and garden stores, Home Depot and Lowe’s, include chemicals classified as “highly hazardous pesticides” and linked to detrimental human health effects. The ingredients in commonly used herbicides, such as 2,4-D — a chemical from the Vietnam War defoliant Agent Orange — are associated with neurotoxicity, reproductive issues and cancer, which make our own front yards and homes health-compromising sites. 

While consumers can choose to avoid using toxic substances in their own gardens and lawns, not everyone has the privilege of choice. Lawn maintenance workers may be expected to apply pesticides at a site even if they don’t have the proper licensing or protective equipment to do so. They may also be impeded by language barriers, may be unfamiliar with local or state ordinances, or may fear employer retaliation if they raise questions about the chemicals they’re using.

Citizens across the United States recognize the urgency of this environmental health issue and are organizing in support of pesticide reform policies. They are also working to make organic pest management the norm through community education and engagement. The Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project in Illinois is one of the few organizations in the country that takes a worker-centered approach through litigation, education and providing financial assistance for workers’ families. 

What we really need to protect all people who are exposed to pesticides — jardineros, farmworkers, homeowners, children playing at parks and schools — is for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to follow the science and restrict harmful chemicals. The EPA allows use of over 80 pesticides that have been banned in other countries due to concern about their impact on human health. The EPA has also approved more than 100 new pesticide products containing ingredients widely deemed to be highly hazardous between 2017-2018.

While we fight for an EPA that protects people over industry profits, we can demand that the stores where jardineros and the rest of us purchase lawn care products, like Home Depot and Lowe’s, take the safety of their products seriously. We must also join together in our communities to make our neighborhoods safer and more equitable for all.  

The post The human cost of a perfect lawn appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

Friends of the Earth and allies have been campaigning to remove Roundup and other glyphosate-based weedkillers from garden retailers based on science linking glyphosate to cancer and other serious health concerns as well as threats to 93% of endangered species.

The decision to remove glyphosate from Roundup is a response to years-long court battles Bayer inherited after acquiring Roundup manufacturer Monsanto in 2018. Over one hundred thousand plaintiffs allege that their non-Hodgkins lymphoma is linked to Roundup use. However, Bayer’s decision only applies to consumer markets – the company will continue selling glyphosate-based formulas for agricultural and professional use.

Kendra Klein, PhD, senior scientist at Friends of the Earth, said this:

This is an important victory to protect the health of Americans, but action on this toxic weedkiller can’t wait until 2023. Major home and garden retailers like Home Depot and Lowe’s must lead the industry by ending the sales of Roundup immediately.

Despite this win, the battle against this toxic chemical is far from over — massive amounts of glyphosate will continue to be sprayed in parks, schools and on food crops. Retailers and regulators must act now to ban this cancer-linked weedkiller.

Expert contact: Kendra Klein, PhD (415) 350-5957, kklein@foe.org
Communications contact: Kerry Skiff, (202) 222-0723, kskiff@foe.org

The post Bayer to Remove Cancer-linked Glyphosate From Roundup for U.S. Lawn and Garden Market by 2023 appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

Kroger currently lags behind competitors like Costco (NASDQ: COST), Albertsons (NYSE: ACI) and Giant Eagle. Walmart (NYSE: WMT) recently announced a time-bound commitment, the most far-reaching to date of any U.S. retailers.

“Scientists warn we are facing an ‘insect apocalypse,’ largely driven by toxic pesticides,” said Paolo Mutia, Food and Agriculture Campaigner at Friends of the Earth. “Kroger needs to join competitors like Walmart that have established industry-leading policies to protect pollinators essential to its business and to our food system, before it’s too late.”

Forty percent of invertebrate pollinators face extinction, and research shows that pesticides are a key driver. Research shows that organic farming can help reverse pollinator declines. 

Kroger store-brand foods have been found to contain toxic pesticides, including glyphosate, organophosphates, and neonicotinoids. These pesticides are linked to adverse human health impacts and harm to bees and other pollinators. The foods tested were items that kids and families typically eat including cereal, apples, applesauce, spinach and pinto beans.

“I don’t want to live in a world without bees. Or strawberries. Or chocolate. Or coffee,” said Lacey Kohlmoos, U.S. Campaign Manager at SumOfUs. “And unless Kroger makes a strong commitment to protect bees and other pollinators from extinction, that’s very well what may end up happening. It’s time for Kroger to finally step up and do its part to save the bees, and our favorite foods and drinks.”

Friends of the Earth, along with over 100 environmental, consumer, food safety, farmer and farmworker organizations, have driven hundreds of thousands of emails and calls to Kroger, organized protests at Kroger’s shareholder meetings and grocery stores and placed a billboard outside of Kroger headquarters in Cinncinnati, Ohio. The coalition includes Friends of the Earth, SumOfUs, Beyond Pesticides, Center for Food Safety, Green America, Herbicide Free Campus, Toxic Free NC, and Kids Right to Know.

“As a major grocer, Kroger is responsible for ensuring that both its customers and the environment are healthy,” said Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director at Center for Food Safety. “Its customers want to live in a world where they can delight in the sights and sounds of insects and wildlife. Kroger should make sure its customers have access to healthy, organic foods that benefit human health and are produced without toxic pesticides that harm our bees and ecosystems.”

“Food retailers like Kroger have both the responsibility and means to ensure the products they sell are not contributing to the insect apocalypse and the ongoing collapse of biodiversity worldwide,” said Drew Toher, Community Resource and Policy Director at Beyond Pesticides. “We urge Kroger to get its house in order: expand its selection of organic foods, and ensure all products sold at its stores are grown in manner that safeguards soil health, pollinators, farmers, and the farmworkers our agricultural system relies upon.”

Friends of the Earth’s 2020 Bee-Friendly Retailer Scorecard gave Kroger a “D-” rating. The report, which analyzes 25 of the largest U.S. grocery stores, noted that while Kroger has expanded its bee-friendly organic offerings, the company has not taken substantial steps to reduce the sale of pesticides that threaten pollinators in its food and beverage supply chains.

“Toxic pesticides have no place on the food we feed our families,” said Alexis Luckey, Executive Director at Toxic Free North Carolina. “We ask Kroger to demonstrate corporate responsibility by influencing its supply chain to transition to healthier and more sustainable growing practices that will protect the health of our community and biodiversity of our precious ecosystem.”

“Pollinators as a keystone species are essential to healthy and productive food and ecosystems,” said Joyce Kennedy Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator at People and Pollinators Action Network. “Time is of the essence to protect this vital wildlife by eliminating their pesticide exposures.”

“Toxic pesticides are harming farmworkers, farmers, pollinators, consumers, and communities nationwide,” said Todd Larsen, Executive Co-Director at Green America. “Consumers are increasingly looking for foods that are organic and protect people and the planet. Kroger’s sales, profits, and brand will be at risk if it fails to eliminate toxic pesticides from products on its shelves.”

“Bees, a vital part of maintaining our eco-systems and food supply are under attack more than ever due to toxic pesticides,” said Rachel Parent, Founder and Director at Kids Right to Know. “If Kroger truly cares about its customers, the environment, and the bees they will step up and say no to bee-toxic pesticides. The young generations are calling for change, now it is time for Kroger to listen!”

Expert contact: Dr. Kendra Klein, 415-350-5957, Kklein@foe.org
Communications contact: Kerry Skiff, (202) 222-0723, kskiff@foe.org

The post Kroger Urged to Eliminate Pesticides from Supply Chain appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

Sixty-seven groups advocating for public health, environmental justice, human rights, chemical reform, faith, beekeeping, soil health, sustainable agriculture and conservation signed a letter of support for the petition.

The EPA currently estimates pesticides’ harm to all land-based invertebrates — including beneficial soil organisms — by how the chemicals affect a single species that rarely comes into contact with soil: the European honeybee. While it’s critically important to analyze how pesticides impact honeybees, using honeybees as a proxy significantly underestimates the risk of pesticides to soil invertebrates and microorganisms and does not address the indirect effects that loss of soil life can have on bees and other organisms.

“The EPA can no longer ignore the compelling research showing pesticides are decimating insects and microorganisms that are critical to soil health,” said Nathan Donley, environmental health science director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “We’re living in an era of global insect decline, and it’s time for the EPA to acknowledge the essential role these tiny creatures play in keeping our soils alive and productive before it’s too late.”

This petition comes on the heels of the most comprehensive review to date of pesticides’ harms to soil health. That review, published this month in the academic journal Frontiers in Environmental Science, found that pesticides widely used in U.S. agriculture pose a grave threat to organisms that are critical to healthy soil, biodiversity and soil carbon sequestration to fight climate change. One conclusion from the paper was that U.S. regulators do not adequately account for pesticides’ harms to soil organisms.

”Soils are among the most complex and biodiverse ecosystems on Earth,” said Kendra Klein, a senior scientist at Friends of the Earth. “The science is clear that as a set of chemical poisons, pesticides are incompatible with healthy soil ecosystems that are essential for food production and addressing the climate crisis. It is absolutely critical that the EPA account for the harm pesticides can wreak on soil life.”

The petition seeks to compel the agency to more accurately account for harm to soil organisms during risk assessments of pesticides. In addition to analyzing how pesticides affect the honeybee, which is the only analysis the agency conducts for terrestrial invertebrate health, the petition would require the EPA to analyze data on at least six other species or biological processes that can provide vital information about potential harm to soils. This includes studies on earthworms, springtails, mites, an isopod species and mycorrhizal fungi, as well as tests for bacterial activity. The proposed framework would largely mirror how the European Union assesses harm to soil health from pesticides.   

It is estimated that 95% of the world’s food comes either directly or indirectly from soil and that sustainable soil management can increase food production by 58%. Soils store the largest amount of terrestrial carbon on Earth and the ability of soil to capture and sequester carbon is intrinsically linked to its health and the proper functioning of soil organisms.

Worldwide, the overuse of chemical controls like pesticides has been identified as the most significant driver of soil biodiversity loss in the past decade.

Contact: Kendra Klein, (415) 350-5957, kklein@foe.org

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