California farmworkers demand stricter pesticide regulation

Farmworkers and advocates have called on California state officials to hold pesticide regulators accountable, alleging that the current regulatory system fails to protect agricultural communities from life-threatening chemicals.

During a recent legislative hearing, witnesses reported severe health issues resulting from pesticide exposure, including asthma, liver disease, cancer, and neurodevelopmental problems in children such as autism and ADHD. Some workers described being sprayed by crop dusters or caught in drifting chemical clouds.

Critics argue that California regulators permit the use of nearly three dozen chemicals that are banned in various regions across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America due to health concerns. One specific focus is the fumigant chloropicrin, a chemical used as a choking agent in World War I. Although banned in over 40 countries, chloropicrin has been under re-evaluation in California since 2001, with studies linking its agricultural use to over 1,000 pesticide-related illnesses in the state between 2000 and 2015.