Why are pesticides a problem?
Bees and other insects are essential to pollinate around one-third of the food crops we rely on – but bee populations are in decline due to the use of pesticides called neonicotinoids (neonics), habitat loss and disease.
Neonics were banned by the EU in April 2018, but, according to Greenpeace, at least 67 different emergency authorisations have been granted since that date. Many of these authorisations were granted repeatedly, or without any evidence of an ‘emergency’ situation being provided [1]. Neonic use has also been approved in the UK after Brexit, in certain emergency situations (although it was for a non-flowering crop).
Unfortunately, the next generation of pesticides are also believed to harm bees[2]. Indeed it’s hard to see how any future pesticides will be safe for bees and beneficial insects, given their physiological similarity to the insects the pesticides are intended to kill.
Legislators are under relentless pressure to approve pesticides that are known to cause the collapse of bee populations. This pressure comes from agrochemical giants like Bayer and Monsanto, whose business models are based on creating a reliance on their patented, proprietary seeds and pesticides.
How can I help end the use of bee-killing pesticides?
- Write to your MP or political representative to tell them you support them taking a stand against agrochemical giants like Bayer and Monsanto
- Follow Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and Sum of Us (Ekō) to support current campaigns against using neonicotinoids and similar pesticides
- Write to your local council about making roadsides and public land bee-friendly
- Meanwhile, support pollinators by avoiding the use of pesticides on your own property
How can I contact my MP or political representative?
In the UK, you can find out who your MP is and how to contact them on They Work For You.
In the US, you can find out who your representative in Congress is here.
[1] Unearthed – Greenpeace. 2020. Loophole Keeps Bee-Killing Pesticides In Widespread Use, Two Years After EU Ban. [online] Available at: <https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2020/07/08/bees-neonicotinoids-bayer-syngenta-eu-ban-loophole/> [Accessed 25 January 2021].
[2] BBC News. 2018. New Pesticides ‘May Have Risks For Bees’. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-45185261> [Accessed 25 January 2021].
Image credit: photo by Tsing Wang on Unsplash