PRESS RELEASES

A Washington Post study underscores risks highlighted by a recent report and shareholder resolutions by As You Sow urging large food companies to assess and disclose pesticide and fertilizer use making farming communities and farm workers sick.  

General Mills released voting results from its 2025 Annual General meeting showing 28% support for a pesticides disclosure proposal filed by shareholder representatives As You Sow and Mercy Investment Services.

A new report by As You Sow grades 20 major food companies on the quality of their regenerative agriculture programs and finds that a majority failed to implement key components necessary to achieve regenerative outcomes.

Today, Plaintiffs Larry Lee and As You Sow reached a settlement with Amazon concluding a nearly decade-long lawsuit addressing the sale on Amazon.com of brightening and lightening skin creams containing mercury.

Yesterday, The Guardian reported on the widespread use of PFAS in U.S. pesticides—information previously denied by the Environmental Protection Agency—bringing a new level of attention to PFAS in the U.S. food system. PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” have received growing consumer, media, and regulatory attention because of their linkage to cancer, kidney disease, liver problems, immune disorders, and other health and environmental impacts. 

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley discovered several toxic metals in 30 tampons across 18 product lines from 14 major tampon brands, fueling widespread doubt about the safety of this commonly used product and their manufacturers.

A team of scientists recently discovered glyphosate, the world’s most common weed killer, in more than 55% of sperm samples from a French infertility clinic. The study suggests a significant positive correlation between glyphosate presence in human sperm and a negative impact on reproductive health. Glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides in the U.S. food system despite being labeled a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organization in 2015.

Kellanova, previously the Kellogg Company, released results today from its annual general meeting. Shareholders showed strong support for an As You Sow proposal calling on the company to disclose risks from pesticide use in its supply chain. Pesticides in agricultural supply chains have multiple cumulative environmental and social impacts that present a material risk to Kellanova. 

As You Sow released its third “Pesticides in the Pantry” report today, ranking 17 major food manufacturing companies on their progress in pesticide reduction and the adoption of regenerative agricultural practices. 

A new report released today by As You Sow and the National Confectioners Association is the result of a three-year effort by a multi-disciplinary panel of four experts regarding the sources of lead and cadmium in cocoa and chocolate and how levels may be reduced in the future.