FWAF is part of a broad coalition against the use of organophosphates (OP). Alongside with Earthjustice, 10 health, community, and farmworker groups are petitioning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ban these neurotoxic pesticides. Farmworkers are most at risk from OP’s, but especially in Florida anyone could be exposed through their drinking water, food, and the air they breathe.

The petition follows the recent EPA ban on chlorpyrifos for all food use. Together with our allies, we fought for decades for this ban!

Action alert! Join us here in calling on the EPA to ban organophosphates

Jeannie Economos, coordinator for our Pesticide Safety and Environmental Health Program, about the new petition: “Farmworker families across the country are raising children with learning disabilities, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental problems due largely to agricultural and dietary exposure to organophosphate pesticides. With the least access to resources, these families struggle every day to make a living and provide the care they can for their offspring. Not only is this an incredible injustice to the men and women whose work feeds America, it is tragic for the children’s futures. Our communities suffer. Banning OP pesticides is a public health and justice issue.”

Along with the petition, Earthjustice realeased a report that documents the location and amount of organophosphate usage in the United States and the dangerous health effects associated with exposure. The findings of this report are alarming, especially for people in Florida. Click here for the full press release and the findings of the Earthjustice report.