Cotton is an important crop in Tanzania, with over half-a-million households relying on cotton cultivation for their primary source of income. A new study, published in Toxics, reveals significant levels of pesticide poisoning among Tanzanian smallholder cotton growers following occupational exposure to highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs). Of the 1,074 cotton [...]
The 6th edition of the Chocolate Scorecard has ranked Tony’s Chocolonely and Ritter Sport as among the most sustainable chocolate companies in the world. Run by Be Slavery Free, the scorecard ranks companies based on traceability and transparency across supply chains, whether they pay farmers a living income, efforts to [...]
A new study led by researchers from TGen, part of City of Hope and Arizona State University, has identified an association between glyphosate exposure and symptoms of neuroinflammation, as well as accelerated Alzheimer’s disease-like pathology. This study tracks both the presence and impact of glyphosate’s by-products in the brain long after exposure [...]
In a recent interview with PAN UK, eminent Australian neurologist Dr David Blacker explains the urgent need for Australia to protect its farmers from exposure to paraquat, a very hazardous and widely used herbicide. With a ban already in place in 67 countries around the world, he expressed frustration that [...]
Caribbean farmers have been encouraged to increase local food production, particularly fresh fruits and vegetables. However, a new study published in Frontiers in Public Health highlights that there is a significant issue of occupational pesticide exposure among vegetable farmers in Jamaica and Trinidad. During a cross-sectional survey of 527 smallholder [...]
Analysis launched today shows that food imported into Great Britain may pose a greater risk to consumer health than domestically grown produce. The most recent testing by the UK government detected 46 pesticides with links to cancer on imported produce, compared to 19 on food of UK origin. These results [...]
Climate change is the defining issue of our time. Food and agriculture play a major role. This week, the international community is convening in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). As extreme weather events threaten lives and economies [...]
The need for sustainable farming has never been greater. This World Cotton Day we are celebrating the organic cotton farmers leading the way in Benin. A programme, supported by PAN UK and in collaboration with Organisation for the Promotion of Organic Agriculture in Benin (OBEPAB), is proving that organic cotton [...]
Calling on our new government to undo the damage done to UK pesticide standards As we prepare to head off to Labour Party Conference this weekend, our minds are focused on what actions need to be taken by the new government to reduce pesticide-related harms to both human health and [...]
Calling for the UK government to ban the use of pesticides in publicly run areas of our villages, towns and cities. As part of the Pesticide Collaboration, PAN UK is supporting a new campaign calling on the UK government to ban the use of pesticides in places such as playgrounds, [...]
The third and final part of Atalo Belay’s reflections on ten years of tackling hazardous pesticide use on smallholder cotton farms in Southern Ethiopia Read the first part ‘The pioneers’ here. Read the second part ‘Hard work pays off’ here. Are we winning? We have now trained more than 8,500 [...]
The second of Atalo Belay’s reflections on ten years of tackling hazardous pesticide use on smallholder cotton farms in Southern Ethiopia Read the first part ‘The pioneers’ here. A reason to believe It was difficult to get farmers to believe in the project at first. After years of using pesticides, [...]
The first of Atalo Belay’s (PAN Ethiopia) reflections on ten years of tackling hazardous pesticide use on smallholder cotton farms in Southern Ethiopia The pesticide problem Ethiopia’s Southern Rift Valley was a cotton production area where large volumes of pesticides were being used by both commercial and smallholder cotton farmers. [...]
New research reveals that many common UK food items contain PFAS pesticides. PAN UK analysed the latest results from the UK government’s residue testing programme, finding that ten different PFAS pesticides were present in spices and a range of fruit and vegetables including grapes, cherries, spinach and tomatoes. Strawberries were [...]
This year we are celebrating 10 years since the start of farmer training in our joint project with PAN Ethiopia to get rid of Highly Hazardous Pesticides on cotton farms in Ethiopia’s Southern Rift Valley. We’re kicking off with a video from PAN Ethiopia’s Director, Dr Tadesse Amera, praising the [...]
Cotton is the world’s most popular natural fibre, produced by over 24 million cotton growers in 75 countries. Whilst cotton farmers and workers are indispensable to the global fashion industry, they are largely excluded from conversations and stories around sustainability. To understand and transform the fashion and textile industry, we [...]
The growing movement calling for supermarkets to stop selling harmful gardening pesticide products continues to make progress with your help. A number of major supermarkets are currently reconsidering their sale of synthetic pesticides so an email from you now could have real impact. Thanks to public pressure, Co-op and [...]
Recent results from the UK Government’s testing programme have exposed a dramatic increase in the proportion of wine that contains multiple pesticide residues – from 14% in 2016 (the last time that wine was tested) to 50% in 2022. The official data – which has been collated and analysed by [...]
The 2023 Cotton Ranking of retailers and brands reveals that just nine of the major fashion companies are doing the bare minimum to improve sustainability in the cotton sector. Much of the cotton purchased by major companies does not even meet basic certification requirements. Of the 82 largest cotton-sourcing companies [...]
by Dr Stephanie Williamson, PAN UK Staff Scientist PAN Ethiopia teams meet up for week of training in Arba Minch. Credit PAN UK I recently had the privilege of visiting my hard-working, dedicated colleagues in Ethiopia to find out how our joint projects on growing cotton organically and [...]
