Honeybees pollinate roughly a third of the food found in U.S. grocery stores
Bee lovers (and anyone who likes food) rejoice: Federal regulators said for the first time Wednesday that one of the most widely used and controversial pesticides in agriculture—neonicotinoids—is harmful to pollinators when used on some crops, reports Star Tribune.
The EPA issued the finding as part of its first scientific risk assessment of the pesticides and how they affect colonies, not just individual honeybees.
The finding is a big deal because honeybees pollinate roughly a third of the food in the nation’s grocery aisles, which has amplified global concern over their decline.
But the ongoing war over pesticides and pollinators is far from over. The same day the EPA released their findings, environmental groups and beekeepers sued the agency, alleging that it failed to properly regulate neonicotinoids used as seed coatings on corn and other crops.
[H/T Star Tribune]
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