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In This Issue: • Beekeepers Take a Stand for Vanishing Pollinators• Teachers Say Green Schools Are Within Reach• San Francisco Grows Urban Ag Movement• Spotlight: Central Coast Youth Leader• Californians Demand Fair Farm Bill

Pesticide Watch1107 9th St., Ste 601Sacramento, CA 95814www.pesticidewatch.org

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CREDITS Editor: Paul S. Towers. Contributors: Paul S. Towers, Maya Abood and Dana Perls. Photos: (1) stock.xchng (2) Jannette Ramirez, SFUAA (3) Joanna Delagadillo Magdaleno (4) San Francisco Office of The Mayor. Design: Erica Wong and Public Interest GRFX (215) 985-1113. This newsletter is the update for members of Pesticide Watch and Pesticide Watch Education Fund. Contact us at (916) 551-1883 or at info@pesticidewatch.org, or at the address below for more information. Printed on recycled paper.

SONOMA, Calif.—According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one out of every three bites of food that we eat de-pends on bee pollination. Yet despite the fact that bees make up a critical part of our food system, our government agen-cies have failed to fully investigate the shocking and dramatic decline of the bee population in the United States.

Many scientists and governmental offi-cials believe that the reason the American bee population is decreasing by one-third every year is because of the increased use of neonicotinoid pesticides such as cloth-ianidin and imidacloprid.

According to a leaked memo by the Environmental Protection Agency, “Clothianidin’s major risk concern is to nontarget insects (that is, honey bees). Clothianidin is a neonicotinoid insecticide that is both persistent and systemic. Acute toxicity studies to honey bees show that clothianidin is highly toxic on both a con-tact and an oral basis.”

Despite the clear science that neonicoti-noids harm bees, the EPA has yet to take any decisive measures to decrease neoni-cotinoid usage and will not release any of their scientific research findings. In fact, in April of last year the EPA granted Bayer CropScience , one of the largest pesticide corporations in the world, an uncondition-al permit to use clothianidin. In California, the most commonly used neonicotinoid is imidacloprid, which is primarily used in turf pest control, grape growing, lettuce, and other wider-spread crops such as rice, grains and cereals, potatoes, sugar beets, cotton, and some fruits.

Imidacloprid is a systemic pesticide, meaning that it is applied to the soil, ab-sorbed into the roots of a plant, and then expressed in the leaves, twigs, flowers

and nectar. These leaves, twigs and flow-ers then become toxic to any sucking or chewing insects, including bees.

While the toxins in the pollen and flowers do not kill the bees directly, many scien-tists believe that the pesticides impair the bee’s navigational and foraging abilities. Scientists are also concerned about possi-ble chronic problems caused by long-term exposure to the toxins and the potentially lethal effect of the combined reaction of several pesticides.

Pesticide Watch is diligently working to hold government agencies accountable and fight against private interests from pesticide companies like Bayer. Starting this year, we will begin working with local beekeeping groups and concerned citi-zens throughout the state on campaigns to reduce or ban the use of neonicotinoids in California. The fate of the bees is sym-bolic of the fate of our entire food system, and we can no longer allow our govern-ment regulatory agencies to turn a blind eye to this potential crisis.

Beekeepers Take a Stand for Vanishing Pollinators

I’m proud of us. It’s been over two years and industry still hasn’t been allowed to use the cancer-causing strawberry pesticide in California. Why? People like you have joined world-class scientists, includ-ing six Nobel laureates, in rejecting toxic pesticides in our fields and promoting green, sustainable farming.

We at Pesticide Watch have done our part to highlight the problem, supporting the most vulnerable communi-ties, and working with press to showcase how industrial chemical companies like Arysta LifeScience have attempted to cheat the laws and protections we have in place.

Our efforts grow and so does our strength. Thank you for being a part of our movement to keep our straw-berries pesticide-free and our communities safe and healthy. As you read the following stories in our newsletter, recog-nize that everyday people are doing extraordinary things in California. And we’re proud to be at their side.

Sincerely,

Paul S. Towers

State Director

To Our Members

Vol.19 No.2Summer 2011

The Newsletter of Pesticide Watch and the Pesticide Watch Education Fund

Californians from across the state, led by Pesticide Watch State Director Paul Towers, met with Assemblymember Bill Monning (Carmel) to discuss pesticide reform priorities.

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—One Tuesday morning in March, dozens of Californians huddled in a church basement before walking the halls of the capitol build-ing and state agencies to share their message of pesticide reform. From Los Angeles to Fresno and Santa Maria to Santa Cruz, local advocates came to share their stories of pesticide prob-lems, and opportunities to protect the health of our children and create green agricultural jobs. These people, of different backgrounds and cultures, called on decision makers to take the necessary steps to invest in sustain-able agriculture, including prohibiting the use of the cancer-causing straw-berry pesticide methyl iodide. Pesticide Watch continues to sponsor events like this that keep California’s leaders con-nected to the people most affected by their decisions.

To learn more about our “Healthy Children and Green Jobs” platform for the Brown Administration, visit www.pesticidewatch.org/get-information

Californians Take Pesticide Reform Message to the State Capital

A Note To Our Members A Note To Our Members

Parent Goli Sahba speaks with a reporter about efforts to eliminate pesticide use at her children’s school.

Pesticide Watch organizer Dana Perls joins San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee as he signs a historic law to allow residents to grow and sell local food.

CONCORD, Calif.—Earlier this year, Pesticide Watch joined parent, teacher and health organizations in introducing legisla-tion to prevent the use of toxic pesticides on school grounds, while promoting green pest management. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away and so does healthy pest control,” said Paul Towers, state director of Pesticide Watch. “Preventing pest problems without toxic pesticides is good for school-children, teachers and school budgets.”

Unfortunately, toxic pesticides are regular-ly used in schools. Scientists increasingly find that, even in very small amounts, pes-ticides have a profound and serious impact on the health and development of children. Young children are especial-ly vulnerable during critical windows of development, when the impacts of pesticide exposure are amplified.

SAN FRANCISCO—On April 20, 2011, San Francisco became the first major city in the United States to change its zoning to foster more urban farming and to enable the legal sale of produce and goods from urban gardens and farms. This effort was led by the San Francisco Urban Agricultural Alliance, which was co-found-ed by former Pesticide Watch organizer Elizabeth Martin-Craig last summer. The SFUAA, with over 40 member organiza-tions and farms, was originally formed to bring together local urban farmers and gardeners, food policy advocates and community members interested in advo-cating for local food access.

When Little City Gardens co-founders Caitlyn Galloway and Brooke Budner found they could not legally sell the produce from their three-quarter acre farm in San Francisco, the SFUAA began their popular campaign to amend the zoning code to expand where different types of gardens are permit-ted, and to allow for the commercial sale of produce grown on-site. “We firmly be-lieve that market gardens like ours can fit into the fabric of residential neighbor-hoods,” explained Little City Gardens co-owner Caitlyn Galloway. “With this new ordinance, we can finally start selling

what we grow to our neighbors and restau-rants in the city. We look forward to being able to test the viability of a small urban farming business here in San Francisco.”

“The Urban Agriculture Ordinance will allow for greater local food production within city limits,” said San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee. “This legislation will not only help support our community through the increased production of fresh, local-

Teachers Say Green Schools Are Within Reach

San Francisco Grows Urban Ag Movement

Pesticide Watch

WASHINGTON—The opportunity to ensure the success of local, organic farmers and safe food for public consumption has arrived. The federal 2012 Farm Bill is up for renewal. Many programs that support be-ginning farmers, family farms, research on organic transitions and wetland conserva-tion are at risk of receiving very little, if any, funding in the 2012 Farm Bill.

“Powerful agribusinesses are trying to control what’s on our tables, threaten-ing the livelihood of many farmers that most directly grow our food,” said Dana Perls, community organizer with Pesticide Watch Education Fund. Without these beneficial programs, the large agribusi-nesses and industrial mega-farms will receive billions of dollars in benefits, while organic growers receive a small fraction

WATSONVILLE, Calif.—Joanna De-lagadillo Magdaleno, affectionately known as Jojo, is one of Watsonville’s secret assets. A youth leader, an activist, photographer and a senior at Renaissance High School, Jojo is leading her classmates and commu-nity members in the fight against methyl iodide. Not only did she stand before the Watsonville City Council to successfully convince them to pass a resolution against the registration of methyl iodide last fall, but as part of a larger campaign to stop the use of methyl iodide in Santa Cruz County she has been educating middle school students and their families about the hazards of methyl iodide. And Pesticide Watch has been at her side providing support in these efforts.

Like many of the high school and middle school students in the Central Coast region, Jojo’s family has worked in strawberry fields for most of her life. Up until recently, her mother worked

as an inspector for Naturipe Berry Growers, a job which exposed her to dangerous pesticides on a daily basis.

“This is one of the main reasons why I took on the methyl iodide issue,” explains Jojo. “Growing up, I watched my mother take care of my sisters and my sick grandmother for a great deal of her life. I am an aunt to eight nieces and nephews and one more on the way, and it is very important for me to see them grow up healthy.”

Jojo’s work with youth is directly connected to a strong campaign in Santa Cruz County to pass a resolu-tion that will stop or restrict the use of methyl iodide. She hopes that the board of supervisors and the gover-nor see that adults and children alike are aware of the dangers that methyl iodide poses. Jojo notes,“We do not want it near our homes. Now it’s my turn to take care of my family and my community, as I watched them take care of me and each other.”

Central Coast Youth Leader

Californians Demand Fair Farm Bill

Pesticide Watch

of the funds. This could have detrimental effects on the success of small and medium-sized farms, and ultimately the public choice to consume healthy and local produce.

In order to take action and advocate for a healthy and responsible Farm Bill, Pesticide Watch and organizations across the state have joined in coalition with the California Food and Justice Coalition, Food and Water Watch, and Environmental Working Group to advocate regionally, statewide and nationally for a just and equitable Farm Bill that directs funding to local and organic farmers, healthy school lunch options and conservation programs, which will protect our soil and water. Stay tuned for how you and your local organizations can partici-pate in the fight to preserve healthy food options and preserve organic farming!

Contact Us Is your neighborhood threatened by pesticide pollution? Are your government officials or company executives not addressing these issues in a timely and effective manner? If so, Pesticide Watch Education Fund and our staff can come to your community and help you. Please contact us at 916.551.1883 or info@pesticidewatch.org.

“The Healthy Schools Act of 2011 is good for California’s students and teachers because it will help schools do a better, more effective, less costly job of manag-ing pest problems,” said Karen Perkins, a retired Oakland Unified School District teacher and member of Parents for a Safer Environment.

Studies released last year by UC Riverside with five major pest control compa-nies found that all of the companies that switched to healthy pest control retained the same level of customer sat-isfaction, revenue flow and number of service jobs. In addition, a first-of-its-kind report released last year by landscap-ing professionals concluded that the annual cost of maintaining a field using natural products and techniques can be as much as 25 percent lower than the cost of conventional programs using chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Central Coast youth leader Jojo Magdaleno advocates for safe strawberries.

ly grown produce, but will also revitalize vacant arable land and create green jobs.”

The newly amended zoning code sets an important precedent for the region and country as cities lobby their local gov-ernments to allow for greater flexibility with urban gardening and farming, and provide their residents with local and non-toxic food options.For more information, please see: www.sfuaa.org