Farmers rely on pollinators to deliver a diverse, nutritious diet to Vermonters and beyond. Crops like peppers, pumpkins, apples, and blueberries depend on pollination services that the USDA values in the billions of dollars. Without pollinators, our food system would falter. And many of our farmers and beekeepers would be unable to earn a living.
So, where are these neonicotinoids coming from? Mostly from colorful insecticidal coatings applied to seeds sold to farmers. Neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seeds dominate Vermont’s working landscape. Yet, they provide almost no benefit to farmers.
Vermont’s legislature recognized the threat. It directed the Vermont Agency of Agriculture to work with the state’s Agriculture Innovations Board to develop best management practices for farmers using neonicotinoid-treated seeds. But the Board recommended research and education instead of best management practices. And the Agency misleadingly claimed that Vermont’s beekeeping industry is thriving, until beekeepers corrected them.
In the meantime, New York followed the science and passed legislation that curbs most neonicotinoid-treated seeds.
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Photo Credit: gettyimages-awakr10
Categories: New York, Crops, Corn, Soybeans