Neonicotinoids Are Vital to Putting Food On Our Table

For decades, Neonicotinoids have been safely used to produce food for millions of Americans. They are cornerstones of modern integrated pest management. Not using neonicotinoids would undermine the very practices that keep destructive pests in check and would negatively impact farmers, families, communities and the environment.

Farmer Impact

Replacing neonicotinoids in commodity crops would cost U.S. farmers nearly

$850 million

Source: a
Environmental Impact

Growers would need nearly five pounds of older chemicals to replace one pound of neonicotinoid insecticide, resulting in an increase in application rate per acre of

375%

Source: a
Arable Land Impact

U.S. cropped land would need to increase more than

340,000 acres

to offset losses in yield and quality from not using neonicotinoids

Source: b
Economic Impact

Economists estimate that a loss of neonicotinoids would cost North American consumers in excess of

$4 Billion

annually in higher food prices

Source: b

Over 100 different baseline studies have assessed the safety of each neonicotinoid product to humans, wildlife and the environment.

Source: c

Farmers depend on and protect bees and other pollinators that are essential for their crops. Studies show that neonics are not harmful to bee colonies when used according to label instructions. In fact, honey bee colonies increased by 45% worldwide over the past 50 years. And, the USDA has found that in the past five years the number of honey bee colonies in the U.S. and Canada has increased by 13% and 18%, respectively.

A Vital Option for Farmers and the Environment

Farmers rely on neonicotinoids to optimize crop yield and quality and they would be forced to use more of less effective and/or harsher alternatives if neonics were no longer available.

[a]

AgInfomatics. The Value of Neonicotinoid Insecticides in North American Agriculture: Estimated Impact of Neonicotinoid Insecticides on Pest Management Practices and Costs for U.S. Corn, Soybean, Wheat, Cotton and Sorghum Farmers

[b]

AgInfomatics. The Value of Neonicotinoids in North American Agriculture: An Economic Assessment of the Benefits of Nitroguanidine Neonicotinoid Insecticides in the United States and Canada

[c]

EPA. Understanding the Science behind EPA’s Pesticide Decisions https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/understanding-science-behind-epas-pesticide-decisions

[d]

EPA. Final Bee Risk Assessment to Support the Registration Review of Imidacloprid. https://www.regulations.gov/document/EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0844-1611

[e]

EPA. Final Bee Risk Assessment to Support the Registration Review of Clothianidin and Thiamethoxam. https://www.regulations.gov/document/EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0865-1164

[f]

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). FAOSTAT Data Base https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL

[g]

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economics, Statistics and Market Information System. Honey Bee Colonies https://usda.library.cornell.edu/concern/publications/rn301137d