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Recent discussions about childhood cancer rates in Santa Cruz County have raised important questions throughout our community. We believe these conversations should be guided by science, facts, and transparency.
Driscoll's has called the Pajaro Valley home since 1904. The families who grow our berries, the people who work in our operations, and many of our company leaders and founding families live here too. We partner with more than 80 independent family growers in the Watsonville and Salinas area, many of whom are farming into their second and third generations.
This issue matters to us because this is our home. We are proud to grow, share, and eat the berries we bring to families across the country every day, including our own. We hope the information and resources below help answer questions, provide context, and support informed conversations about community health, local farming, and berry growing in the Pajaro Valley.
On June 5th, 2026, the County of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency updated their website regarding childhood cancer incidence in Santa Cruz County. Finding Included:
- Childhood cancer rates across the entirety of Santa Cruz County are approximately 38% higher than the California average.
- A statistically significant increase in childhood cancer incidence was found among non-Hispanic White children in North Santa Cruz County from 2013–2022.
- Childhood cancer cases in South County, which includes the Pajaro Valley where Driscoll’s berries are grown, are consistent with the statewide average.
- The data source is provided by the State Cancer Profiles, a public resource that provides geographic patterns of cancer incidence across different population groups and includes filters for county, age, race/ethnicity, and other demographic factors.
Did any of the reviews or data sources find that farming or agriculture is causing childhood cancer?
- No. A cancer registry measures how many cases occur and where. It does not measure exposure or determine what caused any individual illness.
- Just as important, neither the County of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency nor State Cancer Profiles stated a cause for the cases of cancer.
Where are Driscoll’s berries grown in Santa Cruz County?
- Driscoll’s growers in Santa Cruz County farm in the South County, including the Pajaro Valley.
What do we most want our neighbors to know?
- The health of families, farmworkers, and children in our community is personal to us.
- And the available public-health data does not support the conclusion that childhood cancer rates are elevated in the Pajaro Valley.
- The County’s independent review found no higher-than-expected number of cases in this area and no different pattern in the cancers it examined compared with nearby regions.
- These findings do not answer every question, including why childhood cancer rates are elevated in the entirety of Santa Cruz County. But, the findings themselves are real, independent, and important.
How are pesticides regulated and is there oversight?
- All Driscoll’s independent growers operate within a highly regulated system, with oversight from federal, state, and local agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Workplace safety is governed by OSHA and enforced in California by Cal OSHA.
- County Agricultural Commissioners administer and enforce pesticide regulations at the local level, including issuing permits, conducting inspections, investigating complaints, and monitoring compliance.
- Growers must comply with these regulations and are subject to regular inspections and rigorous oversight.
- In addition, growers are required to report pesticide use to their County Agricultural Commissioners, providing an additional layer of transparency and accountability within the state regulatory system.
Does Driscoll’s own all of the farms where their berries are grown?
- Driscoll’s has a unique community based grower model that creates shared value with a network of independent local growers in the communities that grow our berries.
- With more than 1,000 growers around the world, this model is built on independent growers who own and operate their own businesses, bringing entrepreneurial expertise and deep roots in the communities where they live and work.
Why does Driscoll’s provide both organic and conventional berries?
- We are committed to providing consumers with choices that fit their preferences, including both organic and conventionally grown berries.
Why doesn’t Driscoll’s grow all of its berries organically?
- Driscoll’s is a strong supporter of organic agriculture and one of the largest suppliers of organic berries in North America.
- Converting farmland to organic production is a long-term process that can take several years and often requires support from both the grower and the landowner.
- Not every farm, field, or berry variety is well suited for organic production. Growing conditions, pest pressures, available varieties, and long-term farm viability all play a role.
- Expanding organic production also depends on the availability of suitable organic farmland and the ability to maintain productive, economically sustainable farming operations.
- We continue to invest in innovation, plant breeding, and grower partnerships that help increase organic production while supporting the long-term success of family farms.
What Has Driscoll’s Done to Reduce Pesticide Use?
- Driscoll’s growers have invested in a wide range of tools designed to reduce pesticide use over time, including biological controls, beneficial insects, improved monitoring systems, and more targeted application methods. Growers continually evaluate new technologies and farming practices that can help protect crops while reducing inputs and supporting environmental stewardship.
Are Driscoll’s berries safe to eat?
- Yes. We share our berries with families around the country, including our own.
- We are confident in their safety and in the independent farming families who grow them under rigorous regulatory systems and the highest food safety standards in the nation.
For more information about how our berries are grown and our community committment:
Learn how pesticide use is regulated by visiting these agencies:
