Advancing alternatives to pesticides worldwide • www.panna.org Year-end 2014

Pesticide Action Network NEWS

Inside This IssueHawai’i: The Pearl of the

Pesticide Industry p. 2PAN’s Annual Report p. 3Remembering Teresa DeAnda p. 4

Unraveling Corporate SpinIndustry spin is going into high gear. But at PAN, we’re keeping public conversation—and the facts—on point. Globally, momentum is building for a radical overhaul of our food system. Support for sustainable food production is at an all-time high, as is concern about agricultural chemicals and awareness of the importance of healthy pollinator populations. We could be at a tipping point.

As we see industry PR machines—funded by Monsanto, Dow, Bayer and the rest of the “Big 6” global pesticide corporations—become more aggressive, we know these companies are aware of the shift in public attitudes too.

We’ve seen it time and again: Corporations spend millions to obscure the truth in the name of gaining a competitive edge.

Pollinators continue to fall prey to the pesticide industry’s lack of culpability over the impacts of neonics.

Bees in the spin cycleCorporate attempts to reframe the conversation—and subvert independent science—around declining honey bee populations have gone into hyperdrive in recent years. Bayer, Syngenta and Monsanto in particular have worked hard to position themselves as “bee friendly”—despite the fact that several of their top-selling pesticide products are directly linked to bee deaths. The science on this front is incredibly clear.

Big money = big spinGiven the size of the market for bee-harming neonicotinoids (or neonics), these three corporations all have a great deal at stake in protecting their products’ public image. Bayer and Syngenta dominate global neonic manufacturing, primarily profiting from three top sellers. Their 2009 sales alone are impressive:

• Imidicloprid(Bayer):$1.1billion

• Thiamethoxam(Syngenta):$627million

• Clothianidin(Bayer):$439million

And while Monsanto doesn’t manufacture neonics, it sells neonic-treatedseeds.IntheU.S.,94percentofcornplantedispre-treated with neonics, as is much of soy.

Keeping the public conversation in focusWhen it comes to neonics (or DDT or cigarettes), the first line of corporate defense is to deny all culpability—and selec-tivelyfocusonotherthreats.Inthisinstance,corporateplayerscontinue to highlight the “multiple factors” argument and, in particular, the varroa mite as a primary culprit.

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We’ve been highlighting these misrepresentations for years. But their efforts are now unprecedented in scale and scope. They are more threatened than ever before.

The Big 6 are focused on maintaining their control of seed and pesticide markets. At PAN, we—along with powerful networks of partner organizations and concerned communities—con-tinue to spotlight the damaging impacts of pesticide-dependent agriculture.

With your support, we will help build a food and farming system that nourishes us, safeguards our health and protects ecosystems for many years to come.

2 Pesticide Action Network News Year-end 2014

and practices that give farmers on-the-ground tools to grow food that’s safe, from field to fork.

GE’s “dirty little secret”This is the pesticide industry’s dirty little secret: GE seeds are engineered to be the growth engine of the world’s biggest pesticide companies, not the green solution to the world’s food needs. Contrary to talking points from Monsanto and the other seed/pesticide companies, herbicide-resistant GE seeds have driven enormous increases in pesticide applications over the past16years.

Virtually all GE crops planted worldwide are engineered to be usedwithherbicidesorcontaininsecticidaltoxins,orboth,according to industry data. As superweeds and superbugs evolve resistance to GE crops and their associated pesticides, farmers resort to more chemical use, not less. This is happening in the U.S.,India,ChinaandSouthAfrica.

AnalysisofdataoutofWashingtonStateUniversityshowsthatGE crops have driven up overall pesticide use across the coun-try,contributingtoa527millionpoundincreaseinherbicideusebetween1996and2011.Andlastyearalone,GEcropsused20 percent more pesticides on average than non-GE crops.

This pattern will hold true for Dow’s recently approved 2,4-D-resistantcornandsoybeans.AndwhilenewsofEPAandUSDAapprovalwasincrediblydisappointing,wefunda-mentally shifted the public conversation through the campaign tokeep2,4-Dcropsoffthemarket.Morethanhalfamillionpeople spoke out against these new GE crops, underscoring the failure of herbicide-resistant technology and calling for better tools and policies to support farmers. You and PAN, joined by ourallies,significantlydelayedtheUSDAdecision,keeping2,4-Dcropsoffthemarketformorethantwoyears.Andthebattle’s not over.

We will continue the campaign, through strategic communi-cationsandlegalaction.After16yearsofcommercialization,and billions of dollars in research, GE seed technology has not deliveredonitspromises.It’stimetoshiftdirectionandinvestin tools and practices that safeguard communities, farmer liveli-hoods and natural resources.

take aCtion: Help us expose the truth behind GE seed at www.panna.org/Stop24D.

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Ge agriculture: Myths vs. FactThe pesticide and biotech industry would have us believe that their genetically-engineered (GE) crops are critical to the future of global agriculture. That’s simply not true. Specifically, herbi-cide-resistant seeds do not live up to their promises of increas-ing yield to feed the world’s hungry populations or reducing pesticide use.

Through media events, online and offline campaigns and working with directly impacted communities, PAN continues to bust these oft-repeated myths—bringing forward the science that refutes industry claims and promoting agricultural policies

And while scientists agree there are several factors at play—hab-itat loss, nutrition and pathogens among them—they also agree that pesticides have a key role. When dramatic bee declines cameintofocusintheU.S.in2006,muchofthemediacov-erage overlooked the clear impact of neonicotinoid pesticides and the way they accelerate other common stressors. Ever since, industry has been working hard to keep it this way.

But we at PAN knew the whole story wasn’t being reported. For the past eight years, we have focused on ensuring that the way pesticides impact bees and other pollinators is front and center in the conversation. And we’ve made great strides! Pesticides have been highlighted as a primary problem in local, state and

national news outlets from The New York Times to National Geographic to Mother Jones.

Our work is not done. As Bayer and friends continue to ramp uptheirattemptstoexoneratepesticidesfortheirroleinthebeecrisis, we will keep citing the best science with the help of our partners and engaged communities across the country. Bees are relying on us.

take aCtion: Help save our honey bees and make the pesticide companies ‘fess up at www.panna.org/SaveTheBees.

Hawai’iThe Pearl of the Pesticide IndustryHawai’i, due to its year-round warm weather, is the site of some of the world’s largest open-air field tests for genetically modified organisms.

• Over3,000permitshavebeengrantedbyUSDA for field trials of GE crops in Hawai’i, more than any other state in the nation.

• Seedsforcommoditycrops (mainly GE) are raised in Hawai’i primarily for export to the U.S. mainland, yetHawai’iimports90percent of its food.

• Agrichemicalcompanies(BASF,Dow,DuPontPioneerandSyngenta)useover60typesofactiveingredientsinpesticideformulationsappliedtolarge-scalefarmsonKaua’ialone.Ofthesepesticides,severalarelinkedtoaspec-trumofhealthproblemsfromcognitivedisor-ders in children to asthma and cancers in adults.

Pesticide Action Network News Year-end 2014 3

Financial Report PAN recognizes all grants, pledges and contributions in the year they are committed. Core support (administration, fundraising, infrastructure)was11.8%oftotalunrestrictedrevenue(11.6%ofexpenses)inourfiscalyearendingJune30,2014.

For more information, please see our audited financialstatementsandourIRSForm990,availableatwww.panna.org.IRSForm990isalsoavailableonwww.GuideStar.org.

How Your Support Was Used

Core SupportPrograms & Coalitions

Statement of Financial PositionJune 30, 2014

AssetsCash 100,472Short-term investments 390,574Accounts receivable 130,049Grants receivable, net 552,999Inventory 25,810Prepaids and other receivables 35,913Undepreciated furniture & equipment 52,690Deposits 10,880Total Assets 1,299,387

Liabilities & Net Assets

LiabilitiesAccounts payable 5,982Accrued liabilities 96,248Custodial fund accounts 170,310Total Liabilities 272,540

Net AssetsUnrestricted 252,945Temporarily restricted 773,902Total Net Assets 1,026,847

Total Liabilities and Net Assets 1,299,387

2013–2014 annual Report

Statement of Activities for the year ended June 30, 2014 Temporarily Unrestricted Restricted TotalRevenue and SupportGrants - 881,000 881,000Contributions 633,059 372,781 1,005,840Business Supporters 111,778 83,500 195,278Contracts - 114,549 114,549Program service fees 6,200 10,576 16,776Investment income 3,883 - 3,883Unrealized gain on investment 37,211 - 37,211Other 6,154 5,574 11,728Contributed goods & services 37,405 23,161 60,566Net assets released from restrictions 1,745,228 (1,745,228) -Total Revenue and Support 2,580,918 (254,087) 2,326,831Allocation of SupportProgramCore programs 1,733,569 - 1,733,569Coalitions 583,157 - 583,157Total Program 2,316,726 - 2,316,726Administrative 82,528 - 82,528Development 220,834 - 220,834Total Expenses 2,620,088 - 2,620,088Change in Net Assets (39,170) (254,087) (293,257)Net Assets, Beginning of Year 292,115 1,027,989 1,320,104Net Assets, End of Year 252,945 773,902 1,026,847

Board of Directors asofJune30,2014

Program ImpactsInfiscalyearJuly2013–June2014,PAN,our partners and allies challenged control of our food system by the Big 6 agribusiness corporations and won state and national action to protect people, especially children, andecosystemsfrompesticideexposure.

Highlights of the year include:Bee wins gaining momentum: Minnesota adopted two PAN-supported laws protecting bees. We helped generate half a million petitionsignaturesurgingU.S.EPAto speed up action; and the national “SavingAmerica’sPollinators”billhas73congressional sponsors.

California and U.S. EPA looking at pesticide drift: PAN focused media attention on California Department of Public Health’s groundbreaking study on hazardous pesticide use near schools. Thanks to legal action by PANandpartners,EPAisfinallyexamininghowpesticidedriftexposeschildreninfarmcommunities and considering changes in how the agency assesses drift-prone chemicals.

Minnesota’s Toxic Taters Coalition takes on McDonald’s: The grassroots coalition, supported by PAN, is asking McDonald’s and its potato producers to stop poisoning rural communities with pesticide drift. We’re taking the campaign nationwide in the coming year.

EPA poised to improve worker protections: Buildingon13yearsofadvocacy,PANandourallies secured a meeting between farmworkers andU.S.EPAAdministratorGinaMcCarthy.We pressed for strong safety standards and protection from pesticides.

PAN Asia and the Pacific and PAN North America launched a campaign to protect children’s health in agricultural communities.

Our MissionPesticide Action Network North America works to replace the use of haz-ardouspesticideswithecologicallysoundandsociallyjustalternatives.

AsoneoffivePANRegionalCentersworldwide,welinklocalandinterna-tionalconsumer,labor,health,environmentandagriculturegroupsintoaninternationalcitizens’actionnetwork.Thisnetworkchallengestheglobalproliferationofpesticides,defendsbasicrightstohealthandenvironmen-talquality,andworkstoensurethetransitiontoajustandviablesociety.

Polly HoppinPresident Lowell Center

MaryBruneVice President

Ana Duncan PardoSecretary

SusanBakerTreasurer Trillium Asset Management

CherylDanleyFood Corps

Lupe MartinezCenter on Race, Poverty and the Environment

DeniseO’BrienIowa farmer & organizer

Lucia SayrePhysicians for Social Responsibility

ChloeSchwabeMaryknoll Office of Global Concerns

Guy WilliamsG.O. Williams & Assoc.

NseObotWitherspoonChildren’s Environmental Health Network

Executive DirectorJudy Hatcher

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AP

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Industry-led efforts to undermine sustainable farming, including organic, is putting our children at peril.

Safe, nourishing food for allThis year, we’ve seen a marked increase in industry-manufac-tured doubt about pesticide harms, and attacks on the benefits oforganicagricultureandproduce.InJanuary,theindus-try-backed group “Alliance for Food and Farming” launched a new online initiative aimed at challenging the facts that pesticides on food—and in fields—are harmful to our health.

We know better. And at PAN, we’re working to ensure that consumers and policymakers alike have accurate information too.

Children, specifically, are disproportionately impacted by exposuretohazardouschemicals.AsPANscientistDr.EmilyMarquez said in a media statement:

The weight of scientific evidence shows that some pesticides, even in small amounts, have adverse impacts on children’s health and intelligence. The American Academy of Pediatrics has made it clear that we should reduce children’s exposuretopesticidesinordertoprotecttheirdevelopment.The fruits and vegetables available to kids should provide nutritionforgrowingbodieswithoutexposingthemtohealth harms that can last a lifetime.

We need to move towards a system that minimizes pesti-cideresiduesonfood,andespeciallyminimizesexposureto

pesticides that are harmful to children’s health. Choosing food produced in a sustainable manner also protects the rest of us, particularly the health of farmers, farmworkers and residents of agricultural communities.

This generation—and those to come—deserves safe, fresh, nutritious food. Supporting PAN helps make sure that they’ll get this basic right.

Remembering Teresa DeAndaIn October 2014, our movement lost a great environmental justice warrior. TeresaDeAndawasatirelessadvocateforcommunityrightsinthefaceofenvironmentaljusticeabuses.Onenightin1999,acancer-causingpesticidecloudsweptoverhersmalltownofEarlimart—apredominantlyLatinofarmworkercommunityinCalifornia’sCentralValley—andpoisonedover180people.Teresawatchedasemergencycrewshoseddownherneighborsnakedinpublic.

ThisactofwantondisregardforbasichumanrightsanddignitycausedTeresatodedicateherlifetoworkingwithCaliforniacommunitiestopreventpesticideuseandpoisonings.DuetoTeresa’sandothers’activism,thepesticideapplicationcompanyWilburElliswasfinedarecord-breaking$125,000fortheEarlimartpoisoning.TeresaworkedatCaliforniansforPesticideReform—acoalitionco-foundedbyPAN—fornineyears.ShefoundedthecommunitygroupElComitéParaelBienestardeEarlimart,helpedpassgroundbreakingstatepesticidelegislation,andsuccessfullyadvocatedforpesticidebufferzonesaroundschoolsandhomesinCalifornia’sbiggestagriculturalcounties.

Afterraisingafamilyofsevenchildrenandlivingacrossfromthefieldsherwholelife,Teresawasdiagnosedwithcancerin2012.WecommendTeresaandstrivetoexemplifyherinourbattlesagainstcorporatecontrolofouragriculturalsystem.