In 2025, families faced uncertainty, organizers felt exhaustion and frontline communities continued to live with the daily reality of pesticide exposure. Yet even amid struggle, the year reminded us of something powerful: When communities come together, change is possible.
In March, we saw firsthand what collective action looks like with the launch of the state’s SprayDays system, an effort rooted in transparency and community right-to-know.
We also witnessed the first Environmental Justice Advisory Committee (EJAC) meeting, which serves as a space for voices that have too often been excluded from pesticide regulatory decision-making. In conjunction with this meeting, residents in Lindsay gathered to host a watch party that brought together neighbors in reflection, learning and solidarity.
Another meaningful moment from last year was Californians for Pesticide Reform (CPR) leading a statewide press conference focused on 1,3-D, a cancer-causing pesticide still used in California. This was not just a press event—it was a moment where farmworker families, parents, advocates, union partners and community leaders from places like Lindsay and Mendota stood together to say that our health should never be the cost of agricultural production.
For too long, our Central Valley communities have carried the burden of environmental harm while being left out of the conversations that shape policy.
Children breathe air contaminated by pesticide drift. Farmworkers labor in conditions that put their health at risk. Parents worry about not only today but also what these exposures mean for their children’s futures. These are not abstract concerns—they are lived realities.
Despite the challenges, hope lives in these communities. It lives in the organizations that continue to show up, in the unions that stand in solidarity and in the residents who speak out even when their voices tremble. None of the progress made last year would have been possible without the commitment, trust and courage of the people behind this movement.
For 2026, we must continue to build stronger, broader coalitions. If voices are missing, we must invite them in. If communities are being overlooked, we must amplify them.
The fight for healthy communities continues, and we are stronger when we stand together. Our communities deserve nothing less.
Get involved, learn more or take action in the coming year. If you are part of a community group, organization, union, school or faith-based group and would like a presentation or conversation about environmental justice, pesticide reform or community health, contact cristina@pesticidereform.org. Join the coalition to collaborate and discuss ideas on how to advance environmental justice in California.
