Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
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The Wonderful Company is the top sprayer of the herbicide glyphosate in California, according to records analyzed by Mother Jones as part of its searchable database of Top 100 users in the state. The company used 328,000 pounds in 2023, the latest year pesticide records are available—about 68 percent more than anyone else in the state.
How California farmers use the weedkiller matters to the rest of the country, too: The state is the largest producer by value of agricultural products in the United States, and produces nearly half of the country’s vegetables and more than three-quarters of its fruits and nuts.
In a statement, a spokesperson for The Wonderful Company said it “is one of the most environmentally focused agricultural enterprises and prioritizes sustainable business practices across its farming operations. The company, the spokesperson added, “currently uses glyphosate only for weed control in our orchards and does so in full compliance with government approved label instructions. It is applied only at ground level to target weeds—never aerially—and shields are used to help ensure the herbicide does not come into contact with trees.”
Wonderful’s new distinction as California’s top sprayer of glyphosate, at least according to the most recently available data, could raise hackles across the political spectrum and with health-conscious and environmentally minded eaters. Two-thirds of Americans favor banning the use of glyphosate, including 70 percent of Republicans and 69 percent of Democrats, according to a new survey released this month by the Annenberg Public Policy Center.
“It has a well-established toxicity to the environment,” George Kimbrell, an environmental attorney, previously told me. “And, for endangered species, Roundup is a significant risk.”
Search our new database to see which ones are spraying glyphosate near you.
Reporting by Nathan Halverson
Produced by Peter Berger
#investigativejournalism #roundup #califronia
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► For more, visit Mother Jones: motherjones.com
The Wonderful Company is the top sprayer of the herbicide glyphosate in California, according to records analyzed by Mother Jones as part of its searchable database of Top 100 users in the state. The company used 328,000 pounds in 2023, the latest year pesticide records are available—about 68 percent more than anyone else in the state.
How California farmers use the weedkiller matters to the rest of the country, too: The state is the largest producer by value of agricultural products in the United States, and produces nearly half of the country’s vegetables and more than three-quarters of its fruits and nuts.
In a statement, a spokesperson for The Wonderful Company said it “is one of the most environmentally focused agricultural enterprises and prioritizes sustainable business practices across its farming operations. The company, the spokesperson added, “currently uses glyphosate only for weed control in our orchards and does so in full compliance with government approved label instructions. It is applied only at ground level to target weeds—never aerially—and shields are used to help ensure the herbicide does not come into contact with trees.”
Wonderful’s new distinction as California’s top sprayer of glyphosate, at least according to the most recently available data, could raise hackles across the political spectrum and with health-conscious and environmentally minded eaters. Two-thirds of Americans favor banning the use of glyphosate, including 70 percent of Republicans and 69 percent of Democrats, according to a new survey released this month by the Annenberg Public Policy Center.
“It has a well-established toxicity to the environment,” George Kimbrell, an environmental attorney, previously told me. “And, for endangered species, Roundup is a significant risk.”
Search our new database to see which ones are spraying glyphosate near you.
Reporting by Nathan Halverson
Produced by Peter Berger
#investigativejournalism #roundup #califronia
--
For more award-winning independent reporting, visit Mother Jones: motherjones.com
Facebook: facebook.com/motherjones
Twitter: twitter.com/motherjones
Instagram: instagram.com/motherjonesmag
