How do you comment Italy’s suspension of neonicotinoid seed coating?
This is the direct result of scientific monitoring from us beekeepers and some Italian regional administrations which were sensitive to our problem. We had been reporting on what we had seen since 2000, but until recently we were always told that there was no scientific evidence. Unfortunately, we beekeepers don’t have a say in the authorization process of agrochemical products. What were the most significant results of the honeybee collapse monitoring by the Piedmont authorities? The residues of neonicotinoid molecules were found in all of the 24 official tests on dead bees, which were carried out by vets employed by the Piedmont authorities. In the Lombardy and Veneto regions, the residues were found in about 50% of the analysed samples. But we don’t know how these substances degrade within the bees; what we do know is that a minuscule quantity can be devastating for them. From your point of view, what needs to follow now? To my mind, international research on pesticides has yet to c
How do you comment Italy’s suspension of neonicotinoid seed coating?