Five   of   the   world’s   six   largest   genetically   engineered   (GE)   seed   and  pesticide   corporations   (BASF,   Dow,   Pioneer/DuPont,   Monsanto   and  Syngenta)   use   Hawai’i   to   field  test  new   crops   and   raise   parent  seeds  for  markets   on   the   mainland.  This   trend   is   on  the   rise.  From   2010  to  2013,   the   U.S.   Department   of   Agriculture   granted   over   100   new  permits   to   these   corporations   for   field   trials   in   Hawai’i—more   than  anywhere  else  in  the  country.

For  the   corporations,  Hawai’i  offers  unique  advantages   for  testing  GE  crops   and   raising   parent   seed.  The   physical   isolation   of   the   islands  reduces  the  threat  of  contamination,  and  favorable  weather  conditions  allow  for  multiple  crops  to  be  raised  on  the  same  field  in  a  year.

In   2013,   Syngenta   moved   its   Hawai’i   seed   research   operations   to  Kaua’i,   an   island   half   the   size   of  Rhode   Island.   Along   with   Pioneer/DuPont,   Dow   and   BASF,   these   corporations   run   open-­‐air   field   tests  primarily   on  the   southwest  part  of  the   island—often  directly   adjacent  to  where  children  live,  learn  and  play.

GE test fields = heavy pesticide useGE   seeds   are   often  designed   to  be   used   in   conjunction  with   specific  pesticides,   requiring   repeated   applications   of   these   chemicals.   Test  fields   on   Kaua’i   are   thus   sprayed   almost   daily   with   health-­‐harming  

pesticides.   This   frequent   usage  increases   the   likelihood   of   pesticides  drifting,  posing  a  threat  to  the  health  of  residents.

Monitoring   confirms   that   these  pesticides   are   drifting   on   the   wind   to  neighboring  homes,  schools  and  farms,  and   leaching   into   water   supplies,  putting   the   health   of   thousands   of  Kaua'i   residents—especially   children—at  risk.  

Research   ind icates   that   ch i ld ren ’s  deve loping   bodies   are   part icu lar ly  susceptible   to   the   harmful   effects   of  pesticides.   For   more   information   on  children’s  health  and  pesticides,  please  see  A  Generation  in  Jeopardy  (1).

COMMUNITY  MEMBERS  SPEAK  OUT

“We  have  a   right  to  know  what’s   being  grown  on  the   island  and  what  harmful  chemicals  are  being  used  in  the  process.  And  when  pesticides  are  sprayed,  we  need  protections  in  place.”

  —Lorilani  Keohokalole-­‐Torio,         Kaua’i  mother

issue  brief  |  GE  test  fields  &  pesticides

GE  Test  Fields:  From  Hawai’i  to  the  MainlandThe  Hawaiian  islands  have  become  a  global  epicenter  for  testing  new  genetically  engineered  (GE)  crops—dramatically  driving  up  pesticide  use  on  the  islands.    

GE’s “dirty little secret”

Most  GE  seeds  are  intentionally  designed  to  drive  up  pesticide  use,  boosting  market  share  for  pesticide  industry  products.

According  to  research  by  Dr.  Charles  Benbrook    (Washington  State  University),  genetically  engineered  herbicide-­‐resistant  crops  have  been  responsible  for  the  additional  use  of  527  million  pounds  of  herbicides  in  the  first  16  years  of  commercialization.  In  2011,  GE  crops  used  20  percent  more  herbicides  on  average  than  non-­‐GE  crops  (2,3).

March  2015

GE test fields on Kaua’i

The   island  of  Kaua’i  is   396,774  acres   in  size—less   than  half  the  size  of  Rhode  Island.  Almost  40  percent  of  the  island  is  used  for  farming.  

Syngenta,   BASF,   Pioneer/DuPont   and   Dow   occupy   nearly   all   of   the   leased  agricultural   lands   in   west   Kaua'i—over   15,000   acres   in   close   proximity   to  schools  and  residences  (4).  This  leased  property  is  used  to  test  new  GE  seeds.  

According  to  the  Hawai’i  Department  of  Agriculture,  biotech  corporations  are  by   far   the   largest   users   of   “restricted-­‐use”   pesticides   (RUPs)   on   Kaua’i,  totaling  more  than  18  tons  of  22  different  RUPs   in  2012  (4).  RUPs  have  certain  restrictions   on   their   use,   and   can   only   be   applied   by   or   under   the   direct  supervision  of  a  licensed  applicator.

Contaminating  communities

The   GE   test   fields   where   these   pesticides   are   sprayed   frequently   border  residential  communities.  Chemicals  drift  on  the  wind  or  run  off  into  the  water,  exposing  residents  to  health  risks.

The   chemicals   used   on   the   test   fields   in   Kaua’i   include   some   of   the   most  health-­‐harming   pesticides   on   the   market.   According   to   use   data   obtained  from   the   Department   of   Agriculture,   chlorpyrifos   (an   insecticide),   atrazine  and  paraquat  (both  herbicides)  top  the  list.

In  November   2013,   the   Kaua’i  County   Council   voted   to   override   a   mayoral  veto  of  Bill  2491.  Now  known  as  Ordinance  960,  it  mandates  the  disclosure  of  pesticide   use   by   the   top   pesticide   users   on   Kaua’i,   requires   buffer   zones  around  schools,  hospitals  and  residential  areas.  Publicly  available  use   records  allow   for   greater   transparency   regarding   what   pesticides   Kaua’i   residents  may  be  exposed  to—and  what  amounts  are  being  used.

issue  brief  |  GE  test  fields  &  pesticides

TABLE 1 GE Test Fields, Waimea vs. Conventional Fields, Mainland

Waimea corn fields

Mainland corn fields

(based on 2010 USDA data)

Waimea soybean fields

Mainland soybean fields (based on 2012

USDA data)

Average  number  of  pesticides  applied  overall

24.8 ~3 12.0 ~  2

Average number of applications per crop per yearAverage number of applications per crop per yearAverage number of applications per crop per year

herbicides 4.6 2.7 3.0 2.1

insecticides 15.5 <1  (i) 8.0 <1  (ii)

fungicides 4.6 <1(i) 1.0 <1(ii)

Pictured  above:  Waimea,  Kaua’i  County  (red  circle),  is  nestled  between  GE  test  fields  leased  by  Pioneer/DuPont  and  Syngenta.

(i) On  average  nationwide  in  2010,  only  15.5%  of  corn  acres  were  treated  with  any  insecticide,  and  only  11%  of  corn  acres  treated  with  fungicide.  

(ii) On  average  nationwide  in  2012,  24%  of  soybeans  were  treated  with  an  insecticide,  and  11%  of  soybean  acres  

Note:  Data  on  pesticide  usage  refer  only  to  applications  made  to  GE  test  fields  leased  by  Pioneer/DuPont  located  in  Waimea  ,  Kaua’i  County,  and  are  based  on  analysis  of  pesticide  use  records  obtained  through  legal  proceedings.  Statistics  on  Waimea  corn  fields  based  on  calculations  from  five  randomly  selected  fields,  2009-­‐2010.  Statistics  on  average  Waimea  soybean  fields  based  on  12  randomly  selected  fields,  2010-­‐2011.

On  Kaua’i,  companies  conducting  corn  and  

soybean  seed  research  produce  two  or  three  crops  per  year  on  the  same  field.

This  results  in  2-­‐3  times  more  pesticides  applied  in  

comparison  to  the  mainland,  where  most  

farmers  produce  one  crop  per  field  in  a  year  (7).

Pesticide  Action  Network  

Pesticide use data in Waimea The   information   on   pesticide   usage   in   this   document   is  based  on  pesticide  use  records   from  corn  and  soybean  fields  leased   and   managed   by   Pioneer/DuPont   near   the  community  of  Waimea,  Kaua’i  County.  Data  on  pesticide  use  in   other   parts   of   Kaua’i   (not   referenced   here)   are   also  available   from   the   voluntary   “Kaua’i   Agricultural   Good  Neighbor  Program.”

More   pesticides   are   used   on  Kaua’i   GE   test   fields  than  on  the  mainland

On   Kaua’i,   the   weather   conditions   make   it   possible   for  companies   conducting  research  on  corn  and  soybean  seeds    to  produce  two,  and  sometimes  up  to  three  crops  every  year  on  the   same   field.  This   increases   the   volume   of   pesticides  used  in  a  given  year  by  two  or  three  times.  Significantly  more  pesticides   are   used  on  GE   test   fields   in   comparison   to   the  mainland,   according   to   the   Pioneer/DuPont   pesticide   use  records.   These  Waimea   fields—used   for   corn   and   soybean  seed  research—have  “hugely  intensive  pesticide  usage”  (7).

Based  on  2009-­‐2011  use  records  in  Waimea,  a  field  producing  two  corn  crops   in  one  year  would  have  on  average   about  50  pesticide   applications:  9.2  applications   of  fungicides,  9.2  of  herbicides  and  31  applications  of  insecticides  (7).

Corn   seed   research   fields   leased   by   Pioneer/DuPont   had  about   three   times   more   herbicides   used   than   the   average  mainland  cornfield,  with  about  84  times  more  fungicides  and  203  times  more  insecticides  (7).  

Health ImpactsHealth-­‐harming   pesticides   applied   on   GE   test   fields   expose   neighboring  communities   to   health   threats   ranging   from   acute   poisonings   to   long-­‐term  effects   like   cancer,   birth   defects   and   learning   disabilities.   Studies   indicate  children  are  particularly  susceptible  to  health  harms  from  pesticides.

Routes  of  exposure

Pesticides   can   drift   off-­‐target   as   spray   droplets   during   an   application,   or  evaporate  and  volatilize   into  the  air  (like  the   fumes   that  rise   into  the  air  when  you  chop  an  onion),   after  application  is   complete.   Pesticide   residues   are   also  found   in  dust,   and   indoor  dust   is   a   route   of  exposure   that   children  are   most  likely  to  encounter.  When  dust  gets  carried  into  a  house,  it  is  sheltered  from  the  sun  and  rain,  slowing   the  breakdown  of  pesticide   residues.  Young  children  are  

often  close   to  the  ground,  and  frequently  explore  with  “hand-­‐to-­‐mouth”   behaviors,  making  them  more  likely   to  ingest  dust  that  can  carry  pesticide  residues.

In  a  University  of  Hawai'i  study,  pesticides  were  detected  in  the  air  inside  and  outside  schools   in  every  sample   taken  at  three  different  Kaua’i  school  sites  over  a  two-­‐year  period  (5).  One  of  the  pesticides  detected  was  chlorpyrifos,  a  drift-­‐prone  pesticide  linked  to  harmful  impacts  on  children’s  developing  brains,  such  as  decreased  IQ  and  changes  to  the  architecture  of  the  brain.

Some  of  the  worst  pesticides  used  on  GE  test  fields

From  2007-­‐2013,  Pioneer/DuPont  used  pesticide  products  containing  64  or  more  active  ingredients  on  Waimea,  Kaua’i  County,  GE  test  fields.  These  pesticides  are  linked  to  a  range  of  health  effects   in  experimental  animals,  such  as:  cancer,  reproductive  toxicity,  birth  defects,  toxicity  to  the  endocrine,  immune  and  nervous  systems,  genotoxicity,  and  toxic  effects   in  organs  such  as  the  liver  (6).  Animal  models  are  used  as  predictors  for  potential  toxicity  to  humans.  

When  ranked  by   a   toxicologist,  15  of  the  pesticides   used  were   of  “high  concern,”  characterized   by   “significant  and  severe  toxicity   traits   (6).”   Three   of   the   high-­‐concern   pesticides   are   also   among   the   most   commonly   used   RUPs—atrazine,  chlorpyrifos  and  paraquat.  These  pesticides  are   linked  with  serious  human  health  impacts,  even  when  people  are  exposed  to  low  levels.

issue  brief  |  GE  test  fields  &  pesticides

PESTICIDE  APPLICATIONS  on  GE  test  fields  (2007-­‐2013)  occurred  about  two  out  of  every  three  days  throughout  the  year  in  

Waimea,  Kaua’i  County.  

Based  on  the  use  records,  “there  is  no  time  throughout  the  year”  when  pesticide  

use  does  not  occur  (6).  

March  2015

issue  brief  |  GE  test  fields  &  pesticides

Pesticide Action Network North America is  part  of  an  interna,onal  network  working  to  replace  the  use  of  hazardous  pes,cides  with  ecologically  sound  and  socially  just  alterna,ves.  To  learn  more,  visit  www.panna.org.

Policy recommendationsAs  we  move  toward  reducing  the  use  of  highly  hazardous  pesticides,  policymakers  should  consider  the  following  steps  in  Hawai’i  and  across  the  country:

1)  Right-­‐to-­‐know:  Families,  farmers  and  physicians  have  a  right  to  know  what  pesticides  are  being  used  and  where.  Information  should  be  accessible  to  all  well  in  advance  of  pesticide  applications  and  made  available  online  in  public  databases,  posted  in  public  places  and  on  the  doors  of  people  living  next  to  application  sites.  

2)  Robust  evaluations:  Local  policymakers  can  protect  families  by  prioritizing  timely  investigation  of  health  and  environmental  impacts.  Such  impacts  should  also  be  examined  in  the  context  of  data  that  includes  timing  of  actual  pesticide  application  schedules.  Healthcare  professionals  require  immediate  information,  an  evaluation  and  lab  protocol,  and  a  commitment  to  timely  research  in  order  to  effectively  treat  local  communities.

3)  Critical  protections:  Protections  for  sensitive  populations  such  as  children  are  needed.  In  Yolo  County,  California,  quarter-­‐mile  buffer  zones  have  been  created  near  schools  for  drift-­‐prone  pesticides  like  chlorpyrifos,  which  has  been  shown  to  have  adverse  effects  on  brain  development  in  children.  California’s  Department  of  Pesticide  Regulation  listed  chlorpyrifos  as  a  California  restricted  material,  requiring  a  permit  for  application.

4)  Necessary  restrictions:  In  some  cases,  because  of  the  nature  of  a  hazardous  pesticide,  additional  restrictions  should  be  implemented  to  meet  local  conditions.  For  example,  in  conjunction  with  New  York  state,  counties  on  Long  Island  have  done  additional  evaluations  of  the  hormone-­‐disrupting  herbicide  atrazine  in  water;  as  a  result,  they  have  restricted  use  of  the  pesticide  on  the  island.  In  2014,  California  approved  a  statewide  ban  of  second  generation  anticoagulant  rodenticides  sold  directly  to  the  general  public.

5)  Support  for  farmers:  Farmers  need  local,  state  and  federal  support  for  proven  and  safe  agroecological  practices  that  promote  a  resilient  system  and  safeguard  natural  resources.  Training  programs  that  emphasize  cutting  edge  green  practices,  competitive  grants  that  enable  the  purchase  of  equipment,  and  co-­‐operative  leasing  programs  can  help  farmers  produce  the  healthy  food  necessary  for  local  economies  and  farmers  to  prosper.

Resources cited

1. Schafer,  K.  and  E.  Marquez,  et  al.  (2012)  “A  Generation  in  Jeopardy:  How  pesticides  are  undermining  our  children’s  health  and  intelligence.”    Pesticide  Action  Network  North  America.  

2. Benbrook,  C.  (2012)  “Impacts  of  genetically  engineered  crops  on  pesticide  use  in  the  U.S.—the  first  sixteen  years.”  Environmental  Sciences  Europe,  Vol.  24:24  doi:10.1186/2190-­‐4715-­‐24-­‐24,  28.  

3. Information  Systems  for  Biotechnology  (ISB)  database:  USDA  Field  Test  of  GM  Crops.

4. Public  document  requests:  Kaua'i  County  Tax  Assessor  and  Hawaii  Department  of  Agriculture.

5. Qing  X.  Li,  Jun  Wang  and  R.  Boesch  (2013).  “Final  Project  Report  for  Kaua’i  Air  Sampling  Study.”  University  of  Hawai’i.

6. “Survey  and  Toxicology  of  Pesticides  Applied  by  Pioneer  Hi-­‐Bred  International  in  Waimea,  Kaua’i  (2007-­‐2013),  February  21,  2014.”  Expert  report,  Document  766-­‐4,  Filed  6/24/14.  Available  on  www.pacer.gov.

7.  “Report  Regarding  Jim  Aana  et  al.,  vs.  DuPont  Pioneer,  Gay  Robinson,  Inc.,  and  Robinson  Family  Partners,  March  11,  2014.”  Expert  report,  Document  766-­‐8,  filed  6/24/14.  Available  on  www.pacer.gov.

8. Coronado  et  al.,  “Organophosphate  Pesticide  Exposure  and  Residential  Proximity  to  Nearby  Fields.”  Journal  of  Occupational  and  Environmental  Medicine,  53  (8):  884-­‐891  (2011).

9. Gemmill  et  al.,  “Residential  Proximity  to  Methyl  Bromide  Use  and  Birth  Outcomes  in  an  Agricultural  Population  in  California.”  Environmental  Health  Perspectives  121:  737-­‐743  (2013).  

10. Lee  et  al.,  “Acute  Pesticide  Illnesses  Associated  with  Off-­‐Target  Pesticide  Drift  from  Agricultural  Applications:  11  states,  1998-­‐2006.”  Environmental  Health  Perspectives  119:  1162-­‐1169  (2011).

Frequency  of  pesticide  applications

Use  records  from  2007-­‐2013  on  the  Pioneer/DuPont  fields   in  Waimea   indicate   that   applications   occurred   on   average  about  two  out  of  every  three  days  throughout  the  year  (6).  The  frequency  of  usage  increases  the  potential  for  exposure  of  residents  to  pesticides,  year-­‐round.  

It   is   not   known   whether   these   use   records   are   rep-­‐resentative   of  pesticide   usage   on   other  GE   test   fields   on  Kaua’i.   However,   residents   adjacent   to   fields   with   similar  patterns   of   pesticide   use   would   be   subject   to   greater  potential  for  exposure   to   pesticide   drift  or  other  routes   of  exposure   than  the  “average  field”  for  corn  or  soybeans  that  would  be  farmed  on  the  mainland.  

Research   shows   that   communities   located   in   close  proximity   to   agricultural   pesticide   usage   bear   an   undue  burden  of  pesticide  exposure  (8,9,10).

Based   on   the   use   records,   fields   located   in  Waimea   and  leased   by   Pioneer/DuPont  have   a   pattern   of   frequent   and  intensive  pesticide  use.  This   type  of  pesticide  use  can  have  serious   environmental   and   human   health   impacts   on   the  Waimea  community  for  generations  to  come.

Pesticide  Action  Network