Pesticides are designed to control unwanted insects, weeds, and fungi, yet many of these chemicals harm the very systems that sustain life. They endanger farmworkers and consumers, pollute air and water, and damage ecosystems, creating serious health, environmental, and financial risks for companies that produce or purchase agricultural commodities. 

The vast majority of crops in the U.S. are genetically engineered to depend on these chemicals. More than 90% of corn, soybeans, and cotton are modified to produce or tolerate pesticides. The best-known example is Roundup Ready seeds, engineered to survive direct application of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup. Glyphosate is the world’s most heavily used herbicide and was classified in 2015 by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer as a probable human carcinogen. 

Our pioneering report, Roundup Revealed: Glyphosate in Our Food System details how glyphosate permeates global agriculture and why stronger oversight is critical. Yet new generations of herbicides, including dicamba, have triggered additional crises, drifting miles from application sites, damaging neighboring crops, and threatening biodiversity. The insecticide chlorpyrifos, still widely used on fruits and vegetables, has been linked to learning disabilities and developmental delays in children. 

As You Sow works with food, agriculture, and restaurant companies to reduce their reliance on pesticide-dependent systems and to increase transparency around chemical use. Through shareholder advocacy and engagement, we press corporations to disclose risks, label products accurately, and shift toward regenerative, lower-toxicity farming methods. 

Our campaigns have delivered tangible results. Following our shareholder resolutions and dialogue, Abbott Laboratories introduced the first non-GMO Similac formula, and Whole Foods Market committed to mandatory GMO labeling across its stores. 

By holding companies accountable and demanding responsible innovation, As You Sow helps protect farmworkers, consumers, and ecosystems, advancing a food system that is safe, transparent, and sustainable from seed to shelf.