Federal Court overturns the EPA’s ban on chlorpyrifos, a neurotoxic pesticide linked to brain damage in children.
The neuro-toxin Chlorpyrifos (CPF) will be back on our food crops for the 2024 growing season because the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the EPA’s ban on the pesticide for food crops, deeming their decision arbitrary and capricious. CPF is an organophosphate neuro-toxin created for chemical warfare by the Nazis that was repurposed as a pesticide in 1965. CPF suppresses the enzyme that regulates nerve impulses between cells so that the nervous system can’t send normal signals which then causes it to malfunction. Studies have shown that children experience greater exposure risks to chlorpyrifos and other pesticides because their brain, nervous system, and organs are still developing, and their young liver and kidneys cannot detox the poisons efficiently.
For decades, CPF has been used on soybeans, wheat, nut trees, and all kinds of fruits and vegetables until Earthjustice won the lawsuit banning its use on food crops. The victory was short-lived as CPF will be back in use for this growing season while the EPA remands it for further review. What can you do? Email the EPA at complianceinfo@epa.gov and tell them to keep CPF off of our crops and protect our right to food without poison! This serves to remind us why it is so important to choose natural, organic produce. When you purchase fruits and vegetables at Pilgrim’s Market, you can rest assured our produce is organic or wild-harvested, making it a wholesome choice for you and your family!
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