Posted June 9, 2014
A bill (HR 2692) temporarily banning pesticides linked to be deaths has 65 Congressional co-sponsors, according to an article on Roll Call by Anna Giaritelli available here.
Honeybees are responsible for pollination and contribute about $30 million each year to U.S. agriculture. However, honeybees are dying at an alarming rate, which causes concern among Congress and farming circles.
Approximately one-third of U.S. commercial bee colonies have died each winter over the last five years, according to the Department of Agriculture surveys.
The winter deaths may be related to the syndrome known as Colony Collapse Disorder, which causes bees to leave their hives and never return. In 2007, lawmakers first noticed this disorder that resulted in three subcommittee hearings in 2007 and 2008.
The farm bill also contains language to “find strategies addressing bee declines, and orders the department to work with the EPA to publish guidance on enhancing pollinator health.”
A House Agriculture subcommittee held a hearing on pollinators in April.
“The issue of pollinator protection is one that has significantly grown in its momentum on the Hill,” said Larissa Walker, policy and campaign director for the Center for Food Safety, “especially in the last year.”
“Bayer CropScience is working with state, federal and agricultural stakeholders to develop a comprehensive effort to promote bee health,” Christopher Loder, a company spokesman, said in an email. “These efforts include expanding available forage for pollinators, adoption of best management practices for agriculture and apiculture, and more focused research on protecting bees from the invasive Varroa mite.”
Critics claim these efforts are an attempt to distract Congress from the pesticides issue and sway their votes.
For more information on environmental law, please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
Share: