Watsonville farm-working families continue to advocate for organic agriculture to protect the health of their children. At a city council meeting last month, community members advocated for all farms near schools to transition to organic and to stop spraying pesticide.
Several farm-working parents spoke about the health effects of pesticide exposure on their children. This concern is not surprising given that Latino children are 91 percent more likely to attend schools with high pesticide exposure. Organic agriculture protects the health of rural communities by prohibiting the use of synthetic pesticides.
El Ayuntamiento de Watsonville se hizo eco de las preocupaciones de las familias y acordó apoyar la conversión a orgánico de las granjas cercanas a las escuelas. Varios concejales se mostraron partidarios de enviar una resolución para avanzar en esta tarea. Un grupo denominado Campaña de Agricultura Ecológica y Regenerativa (CORA) organizó a los miembros de la comunidad para que asistieran a la reunión. El grupo tiene previsto seguir defendiendo la agricultura orgánica y trabajando por un Valle del Pájaro libre de pesticidas.
No resolution was submitted by the council, but garnering the city council’s support is a critical step forward.