Tag Archives: environmental health

Protecting the Hard Working Hands

Posted on March 25, 2014 by

Farmworkers  are some of the most forgotten and unacknowledged workers in the United States. The general public has little knowledge of the many challenges agriculture workers face on a daily basis: extremely limited access to health care; poverty incomes; exposure … Continue reading →

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National Farmworker Awareness Week 2013

Posted on March 25, 2013 by

For those of us dedicated to supporting and advocating for the estimated 2.5 million farmworkers in our county who harvest the foods we consume every day, National Farmworker Awareness Week (March 24-31) is a very special time. It not only gives … Continue reading →

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Boy, Interrupted

Posted on September 10, 2012 by

Many people know that being exposed to pesticides can have a negative effect on their health and, this is especially true for expectant mothers. Doctors often warn pregnant women against using or being exposed to certain chemicals, but until now … Continue reading →

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Methyl Iodide on the Chopping Block?

Posted on January 31, 2012 by

While all pesticides are designed to harm living things, there are some that are considered more dangerous than others. One of those pesticides is the controversial chemical methyl iodide, which has been used in strawberry fields in California since 2010. Many environmental groups and health professionals warned state regulators about the dangers of methyl iodide before it was approved at the end of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s term; they were ignored. The state’s own scientific advisors, as well as an independent panel of scientists, warned that the chemical can cause cancer, among other dangerous health effects. Now these groups, and others such as EarthJustice, are asking Alameda County Superior Court to put an end to its use. Continue reading →

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Día de los Muertos

Posted on November 14, 2011 by

November 2 marks the Mexican holiday known as Día de los Muertos, or “Day of the Dead,” when families traditionally gather to honor those who have gone before. On November 1, members of the North Carolina Farmworker Advocacy Network (FAN) … Continue reading →

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Danger in the Fields: Children Exposed to Hazards

Posted on October 27, 2011 by

There are many dangers for children working in agricultural fields. AFOP estimates there are as many as 500,000 children working in agriculture, risking their health and often times their future. Children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers, relentlessly toiling in large … Continue reading →

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More Than Meets the Eye

Posted on October 17, 2011 by

Farmworkers are vulnerable to obesity for many reasons that can’t simply be fixed by education about healthy foods and exercise. While those are indeed crucial pieces in the complex puzzle of fighting obesity, farmworkers specifically face significant factors that influence … Continue reading →

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Danger POISON-Bilingual Labeling on Pesticides

Posted on August 3, 2011 by

More than one billion pounds of pesticides are used annually in the United States, three-quarters of which are used in agriculture. Because these chemicals are used in nearly all fields where crops are harvested, it places farmworkers at the greatest … Continue reading →

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Effects of Prenatal Pesticide Exposure on Infant Health

Posted on July 18, 2011 by

By Doris Sempasa, AFOP Health & Safety Programs Intern A recent study of pesticide levels in newborn umbilical cord blood found that infants with higher levels of pesticides tended to weigh less at birth. The study also found that organochlorine … Continue reading →

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From The Smallest Bee To The Strongest Farmworker Community: Pesticides Influence On Our Food Supply

Posted on April 25, 2011 by

“What is happening in our sociological world is also happening in our biological world,”—Ramona Beltran, PhD. At the forum held by Beyond Pesticides April 8 and 9 in Denver, a range of scientists and advocates met to discuss how pesticides … Continue reading →

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