HHRA’s Accomplishments in 2022
As 2022 comes to a close, HHRA is happy to report progress on all fronts. We share some highlights from 2022 and describe what we hope to accomplish in 2023-2025. A NEW MISSION AND VISION As a part of our…
All Policy and Regulatory Reform Posts
Europe is Growing Organic Production, Will the US Follow Suit?
Advocates calling for change in US Ag Inc often struggle to point to successful models through which farming and food chains have evolved toward safer and more sustainable production systems. The surest way to largely eliminate the impacts of prenatal…
HHRA Files Comments in Support of Another Milestone in Quest to End OP Insecticide Use – Big Step for Farmworker-Environmental-Public Health Justice
By Mark Lipson, HHRA's Director of Policy and Regulatory Engagement September 25th marked the close of public comments on a historic petition to EPA calling for an end to organophosphate (OP) pesticide applications on food crops. Twelve groups led by…
Big Changes Called for to Sever the Roots of Injustice in the Distribution of Pesticide Risks and Benefits
Have you heard: A new study has reported that one-half of the residents in high-density, low-income public housing in New York State apply pesticides inside their apartments at least once per week? No wonder then that 85% of pregnant African…
Are We on the Cusp of a Teachable Moment About the American Diet?
AgriPulse is a daily must-read subscription newsletter for ag and food professionals, policy wonks and business leaders. It’s “Daybreak” feature for October 27, 2021 ends with this quote in their “She Said It” section: “Food insecurity is a policy choice.…
Is a Weed Management Trainwreck Around the Corner? – Reflections on the “Superweeds” Wake Up Call in the New York Times
In the mid-1980s when I was the Executive Director of the Board on Agriculture in the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), I had the privilege of working with some of the nation’s top weed scientists who had already become concerned…
Time to Slow the Spread of Resistant Weeds by Speeding Up Adoption of Integrated Weed Management
By Tom Green, HHRA Board Chair and Charles Benbrook, Executive Director In the late 1990s Wisconsin soybean farmers eagerly adopted the Roundup Ready (RR) system of weed management. About 40% of the State’s soybean crop was planted to RR soybeans. On 70% of…
HHRA Commentary Recommends Four Steps to Fix Systemic Problems with Pesticide Regulation
Scientific uncertainty and controversy go hand-in-hand in our nation’s efforts to prevent adverse public health and environmental impacts from the pesticides applied by farmers, ranchers, foresters, landscapers, and groundskeepers. Significant progress has been made in the sciences supporting pesticide risk…
The Lowdown on the Landmark Chlorpyrifos Ruling
The organophosphate (OP) insecticide chlorpyrifos (Lorsban) has been one of the most heavily used soil insecticides in the Heartland for decades. Farmers use it to prevent worm larvae from attacking roots, and it remains a common residue in many fruits…
New, Comprehensive Study Demonstrates DNA Damage from Real-World Pesticide Exposure
HHRA research partners at King's College in London and the Ramazzini Institute have published a new study that suggests that regulatory risk assessments may be missing the mark on pesticide health impacts. The study uses the latest multi-omics analytical methods…