A coalition of public health and farm worker organisations has launched a legal petition demanding the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prohibit the spraying of antibiotics on food crops, a practice they warn is fuelling the rise of deadly superbugs and endangering human health.
The Scale of the Problem
The agricultural industry in the United States sprays approximately 8 million pounds of antibiotic and antifungal pesticides on food crops every year. Many of these substances are banned in other nations. This overuse of medically important drugs as pesticides threatens public health by promoting antibiotic-resistant bacteria, making common infections harder to treat.
Nathan Donley, environmental health science director at the Center for Biological Diversity, stated, "Each year Americans are at greater risk from dangerous bacteria and diseases because human medicines are sprayed on crops." He attributed this recklessness to the industry's "stranglehold on the EPA’s pesticide-approval process."
Documented Risks to Human Health
The consequences are already starkly visible. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that antibiotic-resistant infections sicken about 2.8 million people and cause approximately 35,000 deaths annually in the US. The CDC has directly linked antibiotics approved by the EPA for crop use to increased antibiotic resistance and a higher risk of staph infections, including MRSA.
Internal documents obtained by the Center for Biological Diversity reveal that a 2017 CDC study expressed specific concerns about expanding antibiotic use on citrus crops, warning it "has the potential to select for antimicrobial resistant bacteria present in the environment."
Beyond resistance, the petition highlights other dangers:
- Consuming antibiotic residues on food can disrupt the human gut microbiome.
- The substances pollute drinking water supplies.
- They are thought to harm vital pollinators.
- Low-income and Latino farm workers face the greatest exposure risk.
Industry Pressure and Long-Term Fight
One of the most commonly sprayed antibiotic pesticides is streptomycin, a drug crucial for human medical care, with the US Geological Survey estimating up to 125,000 pounds are used on crops in a single year.
The petition arrives as the EPA faces significant pressure from the agricultural industry to expand the use of human antibiotics. This is largely driven by the devastating impact of citrus greening disease in states like Florida. While Nathan Donley acknowledges the industry's "incredibly scary" situation, he argues that the societal cost is too high. "The massive problems created by spraying human medicine on food crops far outweighs the agricultural problems," he said, suggesting alternative crop management strategies should be prioritised.
The legal process is expected to be lengthy. The EPA has been given about five years to respond. If the agency, now or under a future administration, refuses to enact a ban, the coalition is prepared to sue. "We're playing the long game," Donley confirmed, indicating a fight that could span more than a decade.
