Pesticides
You've Been Sprayed | Pesticides & Health | West Nile Spraying
Pesticide Drift CCOF addresses the issue of potential pesticide drift in every certification by requiring clearly defined buffers and boundaries between organic and non-organic farms.
CCOF supports organic farmers' rights to recoup financial losses as a result of pesticide drift.
Consuming organic products is the most effective way to reduce worker and consumer exposure to harmful pesticides. Consumer support of organic agriculture helps reduce the amount of pesticides used in agriculture.
Organic agriculture uses a systems approach to pest control by using natural forces to achieve balance, such as the introduction of beneficial insects, soil building, and when absolutely necessary, the application of products approved for organic agriculture.
You've Been Sprayed...
What can you do?
In a world addicted to agrochemicals, pesticide drift is a serious concern shared by nearly all CCOF certified growers. CCOF certified clients should inform CCOF as soon as possible of any suspected or actual pesticide drift or direct spraying on CCOF certified parcels.
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Pesticides and Human Health
Certified organic agricultural operations do not use most synthetic pesticides used in non-organic agriculture. We have collected an assortment of information and resources related to pesticide use, exposure, and organic production.
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Read a sign-on letter in support of Itegrated Pest Management instead of pesticides
West Nile Spraying
CCOF believes that mandated spraying is the wrong way to contain the deadly West Nile Virus. Not only have large scale chemical applications caused more problems than they have purported to correct in the past, but never has a pesticide eliminated a native pest anywhere in the world. CCOF strongly encourages the development of multi-year policies that utilize physical, biological, and cultural controls for long range management of this truly important public health issue.
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LBAM Spraying
CCOF recently posted a press release revoking our support of the California Department of Food and Agriculture's aerial spraying component of the eradication program for LBAM (Light Brown Apple Moth), due to concerns expressed by our members and our consumers. We realize that if LBAM is established, our members' farms could be quarantined and they could lose their livelihood, and it is extremely difficult for us to oppose a pest eradication method that the Department seems to be so ready to use. We welcome your input to our thinking and ask you to contact Claudia Reid at claudia@ccof.org if you have questions or need additional information. We continue to work with CDFA to explore alternatives to aerial spraying for LBAM.
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