A few weeks ago, the House Agriculture Committee passed a version of H. 626, an act relating to the sale, use, or application of neonicotinoid pesticides. The revised version was written by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture staff. It tells the Agency to develop "best management practices" for farmers for the use of neonicotinoid-coated seeds. Those practices are voluntary and would include such things as surveying fields for pests before deciding to use the treated seeds. Currently, treated seeds are used "prophylactically" for crops such as corn and soy, whether or not a pest problem exists.
The Agency's draft of H. 626 replaced the original bill introduced by Rep. Amy Sheldon. Her bill would have required the Agency to develop rules REQUIRING the use of Integrated Pest Management for treated seeds. This means that farmers would need to verify a pest problem before the treated seeds were used. Currently, this is required in both Ontario and Quebec. The 27 countries in the European Union, beginning in 2013, banned the outdoor use of neonicotinoid-treated seeds because of their extreme toxicity to pollinators.
Three independent scientific studies--from Ontario, Quebec and Purdue University--show that treated seeds are NOT effective at increasing crop yields. Since neonicotinoid pesticides were introduced into the marketplace, many hundreds of studies have shown that they are extraordinarily toxic to pollinators, beneficial soil organisms, and aquatic insects and result in reduced populations of insect-eating birds. After hearing testimony from Agency of Agriculture staffer Cary Giguere, a number of members of the House Agriculture Committee expressed skepticism that neonicotinoids are a problem in Vermont.
Editors note: The Vermont Sierra Club has been actively involved in raising concerns about the dangers of neonicotinoids for the last eight years. Judy's work as a volunteer has been responsible for helping us make some progress, however, there is a lot more to do on the issue.
Written by Sierra Club volunteer Judy Bellairs, Hardwick, Vermont.