Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer “wants to include a ban on pesticides linked to declining bee health in next year’s farm bill,” says Bloomberg BNA. The Democrat, who is not a member of the committee that will write the farm bill, would suspend EPA approval of neonicotinoid pesticides until the agency determines they don’t harm pollinators, such as honeybees.
Similar bills have been proposed in the past without success. Environmental groups say neonics are a primary factor in the worrying decline in bee populations in recent years. Officials put the pesticides on a list of factors that include parasites, disease and poor diet, with infestations by the varroa mite tabbed as the leading cause.
Agriculture Committee chairman Michael Conaway told BNA, “We need a lot more evidence on what’s causing [the declines] but I’m willing to talk to my Democratic colleagues on this issue because it’s important to all of us.” Neonics are commonly used as coating on corn and soybean seeds to guard against insect damage to crops. The chemical industry says they are safe.