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  • From: Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Alternatives to Neonicotinoid Insecticide-Coated Corn Seed: Agroecological Methods are Better for Farmers and the Environmen | Center for Food Safety | Media |
  • Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2017 16:58:34 -0400

Alternatives to Neonicotinoid Insecticide-Coated Corn Seed: Agroecological
Methods are Better for Farmers and the Environmen | Center for Food Safety
| Media |

Center for Food Safety | Media |
http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4957/landmark-report-shows-bee-killing-seed-coatings-arent-worth-the-harm#

Article PDF for download:

Alternatives to Neonicotinoid Insecticide-Coated Corn Seed
http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/alternatives-to-neonics_v9_23186.pdf
Landmark Report Shows Bee-killing Seed Coatings Aren’t Worth the Harm
May 22, 2017
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<http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4957/landmark-report-shows-bee-killing-seed-coatings-arent-worth-the-harm#>
<http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4957/landmark-report-shows-bee-killing-seed-coatings-arent-worth-the-harm#>
<http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4957/landmark-report-shows-bee-killing-seed-coatings-arent-worth-the-harm#>

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

May 22, 2017

*Landmark Report Shows Bee-killing Seed Coatings Aren’t Worth the Harm*

*Farmer and environmental friendly alternatives should replace toxic neonic
seed coatings*

*WASHINGTON—*A new report, Alternatives to Neonicotinoid Insecticide-Coated
Corn Seed: Agroecological Methods are better for Farmers and the Environment
<http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/4954/alternatives-to-neonicotinoid-insecticide-coated-corn-seed-agroecological-methods-are-better-for-farmers-and-the-environment>,
released today from Center for Food Safety, shows that environmentally
harmful neonicotinoid (neonic) insecticide seed coatings are largely
unnecessary and ineffective. The landmark report is the first of its kind
to compile and analyze the peer-reviewed science on the efficacy of neonic
corn seed coatings and to offer recommendations for viable alternatives for
protecting both farmers and the environment.

Neonic-coated corn seed is the most extensive use of an insecticide on any
crop in the United States, affecting close to 90 million acres of farmland,
along with the broader environment. Neonic insecticides are known to cause
significant harm to pollinators, aquatic organisms, birds, and possibly
people. Yet harm from neonic-coated corn seed is unnecessary. As this
report shows, agroecological and other alternative farming methods that are
not highly dependent on pesticides are available and result in high
productivity.

“For years we have seen dramatically increasing use of these toxic
pesticide, yet the peer-reviewed research shows that they rarely protect
farmer profit or crop productivity,” said Dr. Doug Gurian-Sherman, the
report’s author. “What we’ve also seen is that industry-sponsored analysis
of the chemicals’ efficacy relies heavily on non-peer-reviewed research,
and contains several biases that overestimate the value of neonic seed
coatings for improving corn yield.”

Dr. Gurian-Sherman’s report compiles and analyzes the peer-reviewed
research in the field, which shows there is no need for neonic seed
coatings to protect the productivity of corn. Data examined also shows that
the so-called secondary pests targeted by the seed coatings are rarely a
problem for farmers; and, in fact “the published peer-reviewed evidence
reveals that [these early-season insect pasts] infrequently reduce corn
productivity in the absence of insecticide use.”

Unfortunately, due to monopoly control by seed companies and the pesticide
manufacturing industry, farmers can rarely find uncoated seed and are left
without choice. Almost all corn seed is pre-coated by seed companies or
their distributors. Farmers may also be lured by misinformation and
industry scare-tactics that promote the seed coating as necessary to
protect yield.

“One of the main reasons that neonic seed coatings are ubiquitous has
nothing to do with yield or farmer profits, but rather monopoly control by
seed and pesticide companies that make it extremely difficult for farmers
to find and buy uncoated seed,” said Gurian-Sherman. “Yet farmers can
almost completely avoid even already low rates of corn pest infestation by
applying available, simple changes in farming practices that are beneficial
to both their livelihoods and the environment.”

Significantly, Gurian-Sherman notes research which suggests that neonic
seed coatings may sometimes actually decrease yields or reduce profit. This
may occur because neonics may reduce the populations of organisms that
normally help keep pest insects in check, and farmers may be unaware of
this possibility when using the chemicals.

Because of the widespread contamination and harm associated with the
overuse of seed coatings, particularly on corn, the report makes several
recommendations for government action:

- Greatly restrict the use of neonic seed coatings, eventually leading
to prohibition;
- Conduct surveys of farmers to understand why they may feel the need to
use the seed coatings;
- Provide resources for farmers to learn about and adopt profitable,
ecologically and socially friendly alternative pest control methods;
- Make affordable or subsidized insurance available for the rare cases
where target pests might be a problem;
- Conduct research to fill in gaps in our knowledge of the pests, and
ecological practices that can control them;
- Require seed companies to make uncoated seed available.

In addition, EPA should release its analysis of the efficacy, benefits, and
costs of neonic corn seed coatings, including harm to honeybee colonies and
any resulting reduced yields of pollinated crops; reduced production of
honey and other bee products; harm to other pollinators and other
beneficial and non-target organisms; financial harm to beekeepers and
consumers; loss of ecosystem services; and market damage from contamination
events.

*Alternatives to Neonicotinoid Insecticide-Coated Corn Seed…*
<http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/4954/alternatives-to-neonicotinoid-insecticide-coated-corn-seed-agroecological-methods-are-better-for-farmers-and-the-environment>
makes clear that neonic seed coatings are a prime example of an expensive,
chemically-dependent, pale substitute for free, ecologically and
scientifically based advanced farming alternatives. They are a symptom of
even more extensive farmer and environmental harm, and lack of
sustainability caused by industrial farming.


<>

Jonathan Latham
May 22
"Alternatives to Neonicotinoid Insecticide-Coated Corn Seed: Agroecological
Methods are Better for Farmers and the Environment"

http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/alternatives-to-neonics_v9_
23186.pdf


The report focuses mainly on the tremendous overuse of these insecticides
on corn in the U.S., the reasons for this use, and viable alternatives to
it. It proposes changes in farming practices based on simple aspects of the
biology and ecology of the pests targeted by neonics.

But a major finding is that even in industrial monoculture corn
production, these insecticides are used much more than "needed" to control
the targeted pests. The research data and other evidence points to monopoly
control of seed and pesticides as the likely main explanation for this.
Although we all rightly point to the lack of biological and cultural
diversity of industrial farming systems as the main reasons for high
insecticide and other pesticide use, the monopoly aspects of the inputs
industry exacerbates these uses.

Here also is a link to the press release for the report: http://www.
centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/4957/landmark-report-
shows-bee-killing-seed-coatings-arent-worth-the-harm

Jonathan Latham, PhD
Executive Director
The Bioscience Resource Project
Ithaca, NY 14850 USA

www.independentsciencenews.org
and
www.bioscienceresource.org

jrla...@bioscienceresource.org
Skype: jonathanlatham2
Tel: 1-607-319-0279

“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits
and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic
society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society
constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of
our country.”—Edward Bernays, Propaganda



  • [permaculture] Alternatives to Neonicotinoid Insecticide-Coated Corn Seed: Agroecological Methods are Better for Farmers and the Environmen | Center for Food Safety | Media |, Lawrence London, 06/15/2017

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