Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.
Nine out of ten strawberries consumed in the United States is grown in the Golden State. It's a $2.6 billion dollar industry for California, and it's one that relies heavily on pesticides believed to cause cancer, respiratory, or reproductive harm.
The Center for Investigative Reporting recently uncovered how state regulators have allowed strawberry growers to use such chemicals despite repeated warnings from scientists.
Andrew Donohue is the Senior Editor of CIR's report: "The Dark Side of the Strawberry." He told Take Two that the danger lies in that strawberries -- a fragile fruit that is now in extremely high demand around the world -- like to grow where people like to live: in areas of perpetual Spring such as Ventura County, CA.