05/25/2026
In California's Pajaro Valley, where nearly 40% of the state's strawberries are grown, residents face a stark health crisis. Santa Cruz County, home to Driscoll's world headquarters, now ranks second in California for pediatric cancer rates among children ages 0 to 14.
Current data shows childhood cancer rates at 22.5 cases per 100,000 children — more than 38% above California's statewide average of 16.3 cases per 100,000. The disparity is concentrated in agricultural areas where intensive pesticide spraying occurs adjacent to schools and residential neighborhoods.
Over 1 million pounds of pesticides are applied annually in Santa Cruz County, with the majority used in the Pajaro Valley's strawberry fields. Agricultural workers and local physicians document that 98.5% of pesticides associated with childhood leukemia and 95.2% of those linked to childhood brain cancer were applied in the Watsonville area in 2019 alone.
Driscoll's, the dominant strawberry producer in the region, applies soil fumigants including 1,3-D (officially designated a carcinogen by California) and chloropicrin (originally used as a chemical weapon). While the company produces 15-20% of its berries organically, conventional pesticide applications continue near schools despite calls from local health advocates, farmworker organizations, and residents for organic conversion in residential areas.
Source: Center for Farmworker Families. (2025). Pesticide exposure and childhood cancer in Santa Cruz County. López, A. (2025). The Importance of Organic is on Full Display in Driscoll's Non-Organic Backyard. The Urban Activist. (2025). A California Berry Town Builds the Case for Organic Agriculture. Lookout Santa Cruz. (2025). Driscoll's has the resources and know-how to shift to organics around schools.
Image: Driscollis
