Pesticide Action Network

Pesticides are hazardous to human health and the environment, undermine local and global food security and threaten agricultural biodiversity.

Yet these pervasive chemicals are aggressively promoted by multinational corporations, government agencies, and other players in this more than $35 billion a year industry.

PANNA (Pesticide Action Network North America) works to replace pesticide use with ecologically sound and socially just alternatives. As one of five autonomous PAN Regional Centers worldwide, we link local and international consumer, labor, health, environment and agriculture groups into an international citizens' action network. This network challenges the global proliferation of pesticides, defends basic rights to health and environmental quality, and works to ensure the transition to a just and viable society.

 Articles by this Author

"P" is for Poison analyzes pesticide use in the 15 largest school districts in California. The report found that highly toxic pesticides are still being used in California schools. It includes information on children's vulnerability to pesticides, toxicity of pesticide use in schools, integrated pest management (IPM), and current agency action on the issue. The report includes appendices detailing pesticide active ingredients used by each school, resources for further information and a model IPM policy.

Conventionally grown cotton uses more insecticides than any other single crop and epitomizes the worst effects of chemically dependent agriculture. Each year cotton producers around the world use nearly $2.6 billion worth of pesticides -- more than 10% of the world's pesticides and nearly 25% of the world's insecticides.