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.
Replacing neonicotinoids in commodity crops would cost U.S. farmers nearly
$850 million
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%
U.S. cropped land would need to increase more than
340,000 acres
to offset losses in yield and quality from not using neonicotinoids
Economists estimate that a loss of neonicotinoids would cost North American consumers in excess of
$4 Billion
annually in higher food prices
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.
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.
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
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
EPA. Understanding the Science behind EPA’s Pesticide Decisions https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/understanding-science-behind-epas-pesticide-decisions
EPA. Final Bee Risk Assessment to Support the Registration Review of Imidacloprid. https://www.regulations.gov/document/EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0844-1611
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
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). FAOSTAT Data Base https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economics, Statistics and Market Information System. Honey Bee Colonies https://usda.library.cornell.edu/concern/publications/rn301137d