California activists escalate fight against pesticide use near schools
By willowt // 2026-06-27
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  • Activists gathered outside Driscoll’s headquarters in Watsonville, California, demanding an end to organophosphate pesticide use near schools.
  • Santa Cruz County ranked fourth in pediatric cancer incidence rates for children under 15 from 2018-2022.
  • The Pajaro Valley Unified School District had over 1.7 million pounds of fumigants applied within its boundaries, more than any other district in the state.
  • The carcinogenic fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene is banned in 34 countries including the European Union but remains widely used in California.
  • Protesters demanded buffer zones be expanded from a quarter mile to one mile around schools and called for the entire phase-out of organophosphates and fumigants.

Growing movement demands change

On June 18, 2026, more than 100 protesters gathered across the street from Driscoll’s corporate headquarters, the world’s largest berry company, to demand the corporation stop spraying organophosphates near schools in the Pajaro Valley. The rally, dubbed “Enough is Enough,” marked the culmination of a year of escalating activism that included hunger strikes, press conferences and community education campaigns led by groups including the Campaign for Organic and Regenerative Agriculture (CORA), Safe Ag Safe Schools and Californians for Pesticide Reform. The protest focused on Driscoll’s, which partners with more than 900 independent farmers to grow berries sold across the United States and more than 40 countries. While the company sells a line of organic berries, many of its products come from fields where conventional pesticides are applied, which the company says follows EPA and FDA guidelines.

Cancer rates and conflicting data

Santa Cruz County ranked fourth among California counties for pediatric cancer incidence rates in children under 15 from 2018 to 2022, according to the National Cancer Institute. However, a June 2026 study from the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency, conducted with input from UC San Francisco’s Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry and the California Department of Public Health, found that childhood cancer rates in the county were not significantly higher than statewide averages. The study identified 20 childhood and adolescent cancer cases in South County, including the Pajaro Valley, from 2018 to 2022. The report noted this was “consistent with what would be expected based on the area’s population size and established cancer rates.” But the agency also acknowledged the analysis “could not assess whether those with cancer in South County had any exposure to pesticides and cannot establish any causes of these cancers.” Activists rejected the study’s conclusions. A report distributed by Safe Ag Safe Schools and Californians for Pesticide Reform argued the county study “appears to us to assume ‘established’ horrors continue, so that’s fine. Our perspective is that it is not fine.” The report highlighted that the Pajaro Valley Unified School District had more than 1.7 million pounds of fumigants applied within its boundaries—more than any other school district in California—and that air monitors at Ohlone Elementary School recorded levels of the carcinogenic fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene more than twice the state’s lifetime cancer risk threshold.

A chemical banned abroad, still used in California

The fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene, classified as a probable human carcinogen by the EPA, is banned in 34 countries including the European Union but remains widely used in California, where it is sold under the brand name Telone. Mark Weller, campaign director for Californians for Pesticide Reform, said the state’s pesticide regulation agency “dragged it through the courts for about 10 years” and produced a regulation “that might even be worse.” He called the situation emblematic of a system where regulators prioritize industry over community health. The push to phase out fumigants represents what Weller called “the next phase of farmworker community pushback” following years of organizing around organophosphates. He noted that fumigant use near schools has increased since 2010 rather than declined, and called for expanding buffer zones from the current quarter mile to one mile around schools. Protesters made five primary demands:
  • Increase buffer zones for pesticide applications around schools from a quarter mile to one mile.
  • Require notices of intent for all organophosphate pesticide applications.
  • Post those notices online in real time.
  • Work with the county agricultural commissioner to implement pilot projects using alternative farming methods.
  • Phase out organophosphates and fumigants entirely.

Driscoll’s defends practices, points to regulators

Driscoll’s has repeatedly pointed to its compliance with state and federal laws. In a statement, the company wrote that all pesticide use “must comply with state and federal laws” and that pesticides “must be approved by the EPA and Department of Pesticide Regulation after scientific evaluation for safety, including impacts on children and workers.” CEO Soren Bjorn said the county study “helps set the record straight” but left an “important question unanswered: Why are childhood cancer rates higher across Santa Cruz County overall?” He called for further investigation into what is causing elevated rates. Vice Chair Brie Reiter Smith published a full-page letter in local newspapers defending the company as a community-driven business while stressing the need to “look at all the publicly available data.” She noted Driscoll’s is investing in ways to reduce reliance on conventional pesticides and expand organic production, though the transition is “not always efficient or affordable for all growers.” The company is collaborating with researchers at UC Santa Cruz and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to develop non-chemical solutions to pest management and breeding naturally resilient berries that require fewer pesticide applications.

The struggle continues

Local activist Omar Dieguez, who completed a 30-day hunger strike in September 2025 to protest pesticide use, told the crowd outside Driscoll’s: “For too long, our families have been told not to worry. For too long, our concerns have been dismissed.” He made a simple demand: “If these chemicals are safe, then show us the science.” CORA co-founder Adam Bolaños Scow said the growing movement reflects a shift in public awareness. “More people want to see a change, that change being organic farming by our schools and by our neighborhoods,” he said. As activists plan their next phase of organizing in 2026, the question remains whether one of the world’s largest berry companies—and the regulatory system that permits these chemicals—will respond to demands that have moved from the margins to the center of community concern. Sources for this article include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org SantaCruzSentinel.com MercuryNews.com
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