Pesticides & Public Health

For more than ten years, communities throughout Hawaiʻi have been locked in a struggle with powerful agri-chemical corporations. These communities fought for their right to know which toxic pesticides were used and in what quantities in and around their living spaces.

In 2018, Act 45 was signed into law. This marked a significant victory, as it mandated companies to disclose what restricted-use-pesticides (RUPs) they were applying and to which areas.The first data from these reports was released in 2019. However, due to a lack of standardization in the reporting, it took two years to devise a methodology, parse the data, and then map the quantities of various active ingredients using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology.

For an in-depth look at the data and its implications, watch the recording of our inaugural community meeting, held in Whitmore, Oʻahu. During this gathering, we discussed the 2019 report, which revealed troublingly high levels of pesticide use and its potential impacts on the community.

About the Campaign

Bridging the Public Health Gap - Unveiling the Truth about Pesticides

Our mission is to bridge an important public health gap by providing a comprehensive look at the reported data on RUPs used in our frontline communities. This campaign comes as a result of the tireless efforts of communities across Hawaiʻi, who have rallied, organized, and fought for their right to know what and how much of these highly toxic chemicals are being used in their communities.

Our Work

Making Sense of the Data - Analysis and Advocacy

Through HAPA's coordination, we've been able to analyze the 2019 report on pesticide use in Oʻahu and Kauaʻi. Now, we're here to bring that data back to the communities—translating the facts and figures into a language everyone can understand and sharing our findings in an accessible and engaging way.