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For years, we’ve seen how the pesticide industry works the system to keep their products on the market. But under this administration? It’s beyond the pale.

Isoxaflutole, manufactured by the German agrichemical giant BASF, combines the worst of glyphosate and dicamba — it’s a weedkiller EPA itself has determined is likely to cause cancer and drift hundreds of feet from where it is applied. 

On August 4, Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) and Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) introduced proposed legislation — the “Protect America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act”, or (PACTPA).  This bill would overhaul U.S. pesticide rules, ultimately mandating new rules to protect people and the environment.

With Brexit comes the potential for the United Kingdom (UK) to negotiate free trade agreements with individual countries. The U.S. and UK have gone through two rounds of negotiations, with the second round completed at the end of June. A major sticking point is around agriculture, including pesticide residues. 

For months, people all over the world have been doing their best to cope with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. While in some countries a gradual relaxing of lockdown restrictions are being implemented and people are experiencing a return to some normality, in other regions high infection and death rates continue.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for everyone, but especially for essential workers. Farmworkers have been some of the hardest hit of these workers, having to cope with the pandemic on top of the systemic injustices already embedded in our food and farming system.