A bill that would ban most uses of neonicotinoid pesticides in Vermont took a key step forward Wednesday, when it was passed by a vote of 8-2 out of the House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency and Forestry.
The insecticides are used widely on corn and soybean seeds nationwide and in Vermont. They’re also sprayed on apple trees and fruits and vegetables and have been linked to pollinator decline.
Although widely hailed by the industry as a necessity, a 2020 study from Cornell University found the seeds were more costly and yielded no substantial benefit in terms of crop yields for corn and soybeans.
And since the pesticides are notoriously toxic for bees and other pollinators, lawmakers and some environmental groups in the state, as well as beekeepers and many farmers, say it’s time to do away with them.
Beekeepers came to the Statehouse on Tuesday to urge members of the House agriculture committee to vote in favor of advancing the bill.
Bianca Braman, a commercial beekeeper from Swanton who is vice president of the Vermont Beekeepers Association, said Tuesday that at 35% to 85%, Vermont’s rates of colony loss for honey bees are untenable.
“We have some of the best honey in the world right here in Vermont, and that is a gift,” Braman said. “We must honor that and cherish it and our critically important insect population.”
Andrew Munkres, a commercial beekeeper from Cornwall, said he’s tired of seeing catastrophic hive loss every year, and that pesticides are a part of the problem.
“This isn’t just a nice thing," Munkres said. "This bill is really critical for the survival of the beekeeping industry in Vermont.”
The timeline
Ontario, Quebec and the European Union have already adopted bans on coated seeds, and New York state is in the process of phasing them out by 2029.
The House bill sets Vermont on a similar timeline, something the Champlain Valley Farmers Coalition and NOFA-VT say they support.
Click here to read more nhpr.org
Photo Credit: istock-fotokostic
Categories: New York, Crops