pesticides

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    Pesticides 101: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    Pesticides 101: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    Pesticides have been used, in one way or another, for thousands of years to protect crops against invasive species, fungi and other “pests.”   While there are organic options, chemical pesticides are commonly used, with industrial agriculture relying heavily on it for their crops. However, as many studies and literature over the decades have shown, […]

    <strong>If Your Strawberries Taste Bland, Pesticides May Be to Blame</strong>

    If Your Strawberries Taste Bland, Pesticides May Be to Blame

    If you’ve ever bitten into a juicy, red strawberry only to find that it was watery and somewhat flavorless, certain pesticides could be to blame. In a recent study, scientists found that two common fungicides used on strawberries — boscalid (BOS) and difenoconazole (DIF) — can affect the fruit’s cellular mechanisms and mute its sweetness […]

    ‘A Vicious Cycle’: How Pesticide Use and Climate Change Make Each Other Worse, and What We Can Do About It

    ‘A Vicious Cycle’: How Pesticide Use and Climate Change Make Each Other Worse, and What We Can Do About It

    The energy required to produce all of the glyphosate used worldwide in 2014 was as much as the yearly energy needed to power 6.25 million cars. That’s one of the striking findings from “Pesticides and Climate Change: A Vicious Cycle,” a first-of-its-kind report from the Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) detailing how these two […]

    Soil Health 101: Everything You Need to Know

    Soil Health 101: Everything You Need to Know

    While healthy soil’s role in food and the environment was (and still is) no secret to Indigenous communities, there has been a public rise in conversations about soil health over the last two decades due to its ability to be more sustainable and to help fight climate change.  

    EU Announces Plan to Cut Pesticide Use in Half

    EU Announces Plan to Cut Pesticide Use in Half

    The European Commission has proposed a new law that would cut pesticide use in half by 2030 and completely ban the use of these chemicals near schools, playgrounds and hospitals. The proposal is part of a larger set of goals to reverse biodiversity loss and restore 20% of land and seas by the end of […]

    Monarch Butterflies Face Three Major Threats

    Monarch Butterflies Face Three Major Threats

    Despite recent news that overwintering monarch butterfly populations have increased 35% in the past year, these graceful creatures are still facing an unsteady future after years of ongoing decline. Monarch butterflies are a migratory species. Eastern monarch butterflies, which make up the vast majority of monarch butterflies in North America, travel from southern Canada and […]