Although organic farmers, environmentalists and raw foodists should not be contaminated with harsh pesticides, even many organic farmers use natural pesticides, which may also be hazardous to the environment and the body. There is agreement among members of the scientific community that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can adversely affect both fetal and childhood development. Cummins said the practices employed by conventional farmers include using pesticides, which leave...

Jodi Rell struck a blow for environmental sanity and the health of schoolchildren by signing into law a ban on lawn-care pesticides at public middle schools. In addition to birth defects and learning disabilities, pesticides have been linked to childhood leukemia, soft-tissue sarcomas, cancers of the brain and testes, and non-Hodgkins lymphoma. By banning chemical lawn pesticides from middle school grounds, the state is protecting another 100,000 children. Connecticut already bans these...

Leafy greens are a major industry in this agricultural county. It is voluntary, but 111 California produce handlers had signed up as of last week, representing nearly 100 percent of the leafy greens grown in the state, according to the state Department of Food and Agriculture. The bureau said almost all growers of leafy greens have committed to a program to inspect farms and implement other safety controls. Growers, shippers and processors would have faced a lengthy list of rules:...

Sheppard said honey bees could also be exposed to pesticides during their foraging flights, if they visit fields and gardens that were recently treated with the chemicals. This summer, his research team is exploring the possibility that exposure to pesticides in the hives is contributing to colony collapse. For the past decade, beekeepers have treated their hives with pesticides to combat two kinds of mites that parasitize the bees. If pesticides used to control mites build up in the wax,...

A JUDGE instructed a not guilty verdict on 11 counts of illegal storage of pesticides faced by independent importer of pesticides, at a hearing in Shrewsbury Crown Court, after the prosecution said it would not be seeking a retrial. Mr Rawlings said afterwards: Todays verdict is not only a personal win for my business but an achievement for farmers and growers across the UK by helping them get a fairer deal in a very competitive market. Not guilty verdict in pesticides trial. The case...