30 Sep Neonicotinoids, Genetically Modified Crops & National Wildlife Refuges
Neonicotinoids currently account for 40 percent of the global pesticide market and are used to treat most of the corn and soybean crops in the U.S. Ironically, these nicotine-like chemicals were introduced in the 1990’s in response to health concerns linked to older pesticides.
In the announcement concerning the phase-out of neonics on refuges, the chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System, Jim Kurth, wrote, “We have determined that prophylactic use, such as a seed treatment, of the neonicotinoid pesticides that can distribute systemically in a plant and can affect a
broad spectrum of non-target species is not consistent with Service policy.” In the same USFWS memo by Kurth, the Service announced that it will
also begin to phase out the use of genetically modified crops to feed wildlife on refuges.
The full memo here:
www.centerforfoodsafety.org/
http://refugeassociation.org/