Chlorpyrifos is available for widespread and public use on food crops in the United States and around the world, despite causing brain and nervous system damage. Severe exposure has even been linked to lowered intelligence levels and ADHD in children, which comes as no surprises when you consider that it shares a similar chemical structure to nerve gas. Specialists at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have frequently attempted to ramp up regulations of this synthetic pesticide, only to have any developments reversed at the last minute.

A first-of-its-kind bill, the ‘Protect Children, Farmers & Farmworkers from Nerve Agent Pesticides Act’ will amend the US Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act to include a ban on chlorpyrifos use in food. This bill will direct the EPA to work with the National Research Council to assess the effects of similar organophosphate pesticides on agricultural workers and children as well as develop more comprehensive educational programs on pesticides and their history.

While many, in particular the companies producing these synthetic chemicals, claim that they are safe for use on food crops, studies have shown their toxicity to humans, in particular for expectant mothers and young children. It is shocking that we continue to apply unprecedented amounts of these agrochemicals on our arable land when there are safe alternatives, including neem-based products. Neem, as a natural solution, is not only effective but also completely safe for the environment!

The post New Bill to Ban Chlorpyrifos appeared first on Neem.World.

The countries that have shown major organic farmland growth are the United States, with a 30% increase, and India, with a 64% increase. Spain and France also both increased their organic farmland by 0.3 million hectares. Oceania and Europe have shown the highest growth over the past ten years, as well as between 2014-2015, at 22.8% and 12.7%. In 2015, Europe had over 12.7 million hectares of organic farms, 4x that of North America. The number of organic farmers has increased to 2.4 million, up 7.2% from 2014. From these figures, it is easy to see that organic farmland is increasing in huge rates, riding the wave of consumer demand for organic food.

Globally, the organic market reached $86 billion USD in 2016. Which countries have the highest demand for organic food? The United States holds the largest market share at $41 billion, followed by Germany and France. While these countries claim the biggest shares of the market, Spain and Denmark’s organic markets also showed impressive growth last year at 24.8% and 8.4% respectively. Surprisingly, Switzerland spends the most on organic food per person at $289 per year.

Germany in particular has seen a dramatic increase in demand for organically produced, sustainable food. Since 2000, the amount of organic farms has more than doubled to 27,132. This comes as no surprise as the country continues to lead Europe in organic food sales, totalling $9 billion in 2014 even though Europe’s organic farmland represents only 5.7% of the total. Germany ultimately wants 20% of all agricultural land to be organic.

With these steady increases in the prevalence of organic farmland, organic farming tools, pesticides, and fertilizers have increased in demand. One such tool is the neem tree. By using neem-based pesticides and fertilizers, farmers can produce nutrient-rich organic food in sustainable ways that is safe for the soil, water, pollinators, and you!

The post Global Organic Farmland Trends appeared first on Neem.World.