The creator presents an "open letter" to the Driscoll's executive board, exposing the company's alleged harmful practices. He uses statistics to link their heavy pesticide use in Watsonville, CA, to elevated cancer rates in local children, shows footage of community protests, and details incidents of farmworkers being hospitalized from pesticide exposure, concluding with a call to boycott Driscoll's and support local farmers instead.
Post caption
This is an open letter to the entire Executive Board of Driscoll’s demanding change for our food, communities, and health.
Driscoll’s supplies 1/3 of America’s Berries.
Primarily grown in one California region…where kids also have nearly 40% higher cancer rates.
It’s all happening in the Watsonville area of Santa Cruz County.
98.5% of the pesticides linked to childhood leukemia used in the county were applied in the Watsonville area.
95.2% linked to childhood brain cancer were also used in Watsonville.
Residents have a simple ask: stop spraying near school grounds.
Crickets…
And if this is happening to the children residents, imagine the actual workers spraying the pesticides.
A drift event near Watsonville sickened 15 agricultural workers, several hospitalized.
All Driscoll’s got? A $56,000 fine.
Organic Insider also documented a farmworker speaking publicly on camera about her stomach cancer just last year, which she believes was caused by pesticide exposure in the Watsonville area.
Still no lawsuits, no jail time.
The damage is becoming undeniable and the solution is simple: stop using synthetic pesticides and practice regenerative.
While we await change from a massive corporation that will likely never come, you can support Localize farmers and buy seasonal berries near you.
Transcript
This is an open letter to the entire executive board of Driscoll's demanding change for our food, communities, and health. Driscoll supplies a shocking one third of America's berries, and it's primarily grown in one California region, where children also happen to have nearly forty percent higher cancer rates than the rest of California. It's all happening in the Watsonville area of Santa Cruz County, and some of the stats on this pesticide usage will shock you. 98.5% of the pesticides linked to childhood leukemia used in the county were applied just in this Watsonville area, and 95.2% linked to childhood brain cancer were also used in Watsonville. Residents have a simple rank, stop spraying near school grounds, and all they've heard is crickets. Not to mention, if this is happening to the children residents, imagine the workers that are actually spraying the pesticides on the field. You don't even have to imagine, though, as there's been drift events near the Watsonville area that sicken fifteen agriculture workers, several of them being hospitalized, and all Driscoll's got was a $56,000 fine. And just last year, a farm worse came out speaking publicly about her stomach cancer, which she believes was caused by pesticide exposure in the Watsonville area. Still no lawsuits, no jail time, and no change. While we await change from a massive corporation that will likely never come, you can support farmers on localized and buy seasonal berries near you. But I hope Driscoll listens because the solution is simple. Stop using so many synthetic pesticides and practice regenerative.
