Neonics threatening our pollinators
Over the last two decades, neonicotinoid pesticides, or neonics, have swiftly become the most widely used class of insecticides globally. Unfortunately for our pollinators, neonics are very efficient at dealing death.
The good news is that PAN and like-minded organizations have been pushing for state-level regulatory protection. Eleven states have passed laws that provide some additional levels of restriction on this dangerous pesticide.
What are neonicotinoids (neonics)?
The name literally means “new nicotine-like pesticide.” It’s chemically similar to nicotine – the chief active constituent of tobacco. Neonics are systemic pesticides, meaning they’re absorbed into plants’ roots, leaves, fruit, and pollen, eventually finding their way into soil and waterways. Neonic pesticides can be sprayed onto foliage or be applied as a soil drench, but the most common use is to coat seeds with the pesticide prior to planting. The plants that emerge from these seeds will incorporate the insecticide into their tissues as they develop and grow. Pollinators that visit a plant started from treated seed will be exposed to the neonicotinoid if they interact with the plant.
The name is not the only thing neonics have in common with tobacco. To keep the product on the market, pesticide companies use the same strategies employed by the tobacco industry. They amplify small uncertainties and question the motives of scientists to instill unwarranted doubt about the research that clearly shows the threat to wild pollinators and honeybees. Bayer, Syngenta, Corteva, and other pesticide giants have spent millions of dollars lobbying our government to keep neonics available in the United States, despite growing evidence of the dangers they pose to pollinators and people.
The regulatory loophole for treated seeds
When we look at places to begin reducing pesticide use in conventional farming, seed treatments seem like the perfect place to start because many farmers question their ability to improve profitability. Sadly, seed treatments aren’t regulated, tracked, or researched like other pesticides. Due to a giant regulatory loophole, planting a pesticide-coated seed is not considered a pesticide application.
Instead, seed treatments have been categorized as “treated articles,” which means that, officially, the site of “pesticide application” is considered to happen in the factory or coop where the seed was first coated. Including treated seeds in this category leaves researchers without access to data about millions of pounds of pesticides that are applied to the landscape each year. Without the data, regulators do not have the power to address this usage. It’s clear that categorizing seed treatments in this way only serves one entity: pesticide industry profits.
In addition to a lapse in regulation, seed companies typically treat seed before farmers or growers order it. The result is that treated seed is widely available and supplies of non-treated seed are often limited, reducing the grower’s choices in seed selection. This causes two problems. First, farmers are stuck with a more expensive seed option that reduces their net income. And second, disposal of unsold treated seed is not a simple matter.
Pollinators, animals and people at risk
In 2021, residents of Mead, Nebraska were getting sick – noticing sudden nosebleeds, constant coughing, and passing out while exercising. In addition to the human toll, the community saw livestock health problems and deaths, as well as “bee kills” (sudden colony collapse). The culprit was a neighboring ethanol plant called AltEn. This plant was storing and processing thousands of pounds of unused and discarded pesticide-treated corn seed which polluted the water and soil in the area.
It doesn’t take a disaster like the AltEn situation to cause serious harm, just planting seeds treated with neonics can be dangerous. The dust from treated seed can drift during planting and the pesticide can escape the target plant and contaminate whole ecosystems.
Research continues to show that neonic use is a major contributor to the declines of birds and fish. Research has also linked exposure in the womb with birth defects in deer as well as higher rates of death for fawns. Several animal studies have reported increased the risk of neurodevelopmental abnormalities and birth defects. Additionally, publicly available literature is showing evidence that there may be a link between neonic exposure and malformations of the developing heart and brain in humans.
In addition to the ability to kill bees with extraordinarily low levels of exposure, . What does this mean for humans? Nothing good.
Progress at the state-level
The good news is that the combined efforts of PAN and partner organizations and the determination and voices of people like you is making a difference. Last year, Vermont passed a law that will go into effect on July 1, 2025. This law will place restrictions on neonicotinoid pesticides, including the sale of treated seeds. Other states have also passed legislation that reduce the use of neonics, including California, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
Our voices can make a difference for our health and the lives of our pollinators.
