After looking at 275 unique soil organisms, taxa, or combined taxa and 284 different pesticide active ingredients or unique mixtures, researchers at the University of Maryland found that pesticides significantly harm soil invertebrates.

“It’s not just one or two pesticides that are causing harm, the results are really very consistent across the whole class of chemical poisons.”

Soil organisms are essential for healthy soil, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration to help fight climate change.

“Pesticide companies are continually trying to greenwash their products, arguing for the use of pesticides in ‘regenerative’ or ‘climate-smart’ agriculture,” said co-author Kendra Klein, a senior scientist at Friends of the Earth. “This research shatters that notion and demonstrates that pesticide reduction must be a key part of combating climate change in agriculture.”

Read: Pesticides Threaten the ‘Foundations of the Web of Life,’ New Soil Study Warns