A report issued today identifies alternatives for California growers to the banned pesticide chlorpyrifos and calls for continued work towards safer, more sustainable pest management practices.
“This report highlights current alternatives to chlorpyrifos, but it also underscores the need to continue our combined efforts to provide safer and more sustainable crop protection tools to California’s farmers,” said DPR Director Val Dolcini. “Working with community organizations, other agencies, agricultural producers, and UC scientists, we will continue our work to develop a roadmap that can be used by all Californians to manage pests more safely and sustainably.”
The report, Towards Safer and More Sustainable Alternatives to Chlorpyrifos: An Action Plan for California, identifies:
- Nonchemical and synthetic alternatives for growers and the relative toxicities of the alternative pesticides.
- Biopesticides alternatives to chlorpyrifos derived from natural materials.
- A five-year action plan to strategically manage pests using safer, less-toxic alternatives.
“California leads the nation in advancing more sustainable pest management practices, and this report makes clear the need to continue that important work,” said Jared Blumenfeld, California Secretary for Environmental Protection. “The Governor’s 2020-2021 Budget contains funding
DPR and CDFA plan to convene a successor group this year to focus on system-wide safe, sustainable pest management practices.
The Work Group included a wide cross-section of leaders and experts – including representatives from agricultural organizations, scientists focused on pest management and public health, environmental justice groups, farmworker advocates, and pest control advisors. Over the course of five months, the group conducted three statewide public roundtable discussions and received extensive public input during.
Visit the DPR website for more information on the chlorpyrifos action.
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