Children who work on California farms are particularly susceptible to harm from toxic pesticides, which they’re exposed to because of poor oversight from regulators, reporter Robert Lopez found. For an investigation published in the Los Angeles Times and Capital & Main, and with support from the Fund, Lopez reviewed more than 40,000 records of pesticide enforcement actions and interviewed more than two dozen child farmworkers and their parents. He found that safety inspections are rare, businesses often face no consequences for pesticide violations, and children report serious health problems from exposure in the fields. Lopez’s earlier reporting on lax oversight of health and safety risks for migrant farmworkers, also supported by the Fund, led the state to step up enforcement and sparked new state legislation on the issue.
Lax oversight leaves child farmworkers exposed to toxic pesticides, grantee finds; earlier reporting sparked change
