Pollinators like honey bees, wild bees, and other insect species critical to our food supply are under threat in Vermont, and around the country and globe, from widespread use of a class of systemic pesticides called neonicotinoids. 

In recent weeks, the House Agriculture & Forestry Committee has taken testimony from over 20 expert witnesses on H.626, a bill that would prohibit the use of neonicotinoids unless the Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (AAFM) creates regulations that protect pollinators from exposure.

"Neonics" are regularly applied as a seed coating on corn and soybean seeds to protect seeds from early season pests. Currently, nearly all corn seed planted in the state is coated with these pesticides whether or not there is a known pest threat that calls for them.

Beekeepers, agronomists, researchers, and farmers have presented powerful, science-based testimony making the case that widespread use of neonics is harming bees and other non-target insects while not, in most cases, helping farmers' bottom lines.

As Vermont beekeepers report record losses (up to 50% of hives are dying annually), one beekeeper told the committee, "There's a saying in the industry that we're no longer beekeepers - we've become bee replacers."

H.626 includes recommendations for neonicotinoids made to the legislature by the Pollinator Protection Committee in 2017. Despite having been granted the authority to regulate treated seeds, the Agency of Agriculture has not acted on these recommendations.  Right now, the House Agriculture & Forestry Committee has the ability to take steps to limit the use of neonicotinoids in ways that protect bees and beekeepers, while actively supporting other farmers in transitioning away from widespread, prophylactic use. 

Here's what you can do: 

• Write to your legislator (find them here) and urge their support for NOFA-VT and Rural Vermont's redraft of H.626 which requires AAFM to phase out prophylactic use of neonics by 2024 and support farmers in accessing untreated seed and implementing Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

• Copy Carolyn Partridge, Chair of House Agriculture & Forestry Committee, cpartridge@leg.state.vt.us, on your message.

We're not asking the farmers using these seeds to quit cold turkey. Farms have already invested in this year’s seed, and their ability to source the appropriate amount and varieties of seed not treated with neonics is challenging given - among other things - the consolidation and concentration of seed companies.  In addition to phasing out the use of neonic treated seeds, we are calling for an appropriate Integrated Pest Management (IPM) protocol and training for farmers and service providers.  

Our proposed version of H.626 phases out the prophylactic use of neonics by providing a deadline by which AAFM must work with the newly created Agriculture Innovation Board, agricultural service providers, and others to develop and administer this IPM protocol and training, and to support farmers in transitioning away from prophylactic use of treated seed further by assisting in sourcing seed not treated with neonics. 

Need more inspiration to act?

Watch powerful testimony to the committee on January 26 from Charles Mraz, owner of Champlain Valley Apiary and third generation beekeeper. 

Do you think farming should be a viable business?
Do you care about climate change?
Do you think the emerging cannabis market should be equitable?
Do you eat?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the policy decisions made by our legislature impact you! Join NOFA-VT and Rural Vermont at Small Farm Action Days - learn more here -  and contact legislators from the agricultural committees with your concerns, find their contact info below!

House Committee on Agriculture and Forestry

• Rep. Carolyn W. Partridge, Chair, Windham - cpartridge@leg.state.vt.us

• Rep. Rodney Graham, Vice Chair, Orange - rgraham@leg.state.vt.us

• Rep. Thomas Bock, Windsor - tbock@leg.state.vt.us

• Rep. Terry Norris, Clerk, Addison-Rutland - tnorris@leg.state.vt.us

• Rep. John O'Brien, Windsor-Orange - jobrien@leg.state.vt.us

• Rep. Henry Pearl, Caledonia-Washington - hpearl@leg.state.vt.us

• Rep. Heather Surprenant, Windsor - hsurprenant@leg.state.vt.us

• Rep. Vicki Strong, Orleans-Caledonia - vstrong@leg.state.vt.us

Senate Committee on Agriculture

• Sen. Robert Starr, Chair, Essex-Orleans - rstarr@leg.state.vt.us

• Sen. Chris Pearson, Vice Chair, Chittenden - CPearson@leg.state.vt.us

• Sen. Anthony Pollina, Washington - apollina@leg.state.vt.us

• Sen. Brian Collamore, Rutland - bcollamore@leg.state.vt.us

• Sen. Corey Parent, Clerk, Franklin- CParent@leg.state.vt.us

Join the Protect Our Soils coalition, including VPIRG and Rural Vermont, in calling on the legislature to uphold the Universal Recycling Law and stop ANR from permitting any more "depackaging" facilities to handle food scraps without regulation. Sludge from depackaging facilities is contaminated with microplastics while also making the separated shredded plastic packaging unfit for recycling. Read the full petition and sign-on below:

We are deeply concerned about the Agency of Natural Resources’ (ANR) recent reinterpretation of sections of the Universal Recycling Law (“URL”) and call on the Legislature to protect food scraps and soils from contamination, and ensure recyclable packaging is recycled. 

We believe maintaining the purity of discarded food materials and protecting soil health are critical to supporting a resilient, local food system and ensuring its benefits are broadly distributed throughout Vermont. Despite the URL being the most ambitious resource management legislation in the U.S., ANR is not enforcing the separation of discarded food from packaging or sources of plastics in blended materials (like plastic lined juice containers).

The Agency has reinterpreted the law to enable mechanical separation of food from packaging, which results in the contamination of compostable materials with plastics and other pollutants, as well as the loss of recyclable packaging from the recycling stream to the landfill and incinerators. Knowingly allowing microplastics and other pollutants to be applied to our soils is not acceptable and may result in unresolvable soil contamination and public health concerns.

Legislation is critical and urgent given that ANR has reinterpreted the law in a manner that is inconsistent with the original intent of the law and shows no sign of reversing course. This reinterpretation is threatening soil health, local composters and farmers, and privileging companies using incinerators and the landfill to deal with packaging, instead of sorting it for recycling.

A successful implementation of the goals of the URL requires legislation to help protect our crop-producing soils from microplastics and ensure food scraps are free of plastics, and put guardrails on the use of industrialized technologies that may exacerbate the microplastic crisis.

We believe the shocking disparity between the Agency’s reinterpretation of the law and the actual content of the law deserve swift reaction from the Legislature. We call on the Legislature to protect and prioritize the separation of food scraps from packaging while preventing the incineration and landfilling of recyclable plastic packaging. This will create a stable market for operators, ensuring good resource stewardship and that these resources be used to build healthy soils and support local food systems.

Specifically, the Legislature should support measures to:

• Ensure that organics recyclers and organics haulers are not knowingly accepting plastics and other contaminants that will end up in soil;

• Apply the precautionary principle in considering and reviewing approaches to separating food from packaging, and ensure adequate study of the potential effects of microplastics pollution of soils before declaring innocence;

• Call on ANR to develop a strategic plan to promote and incentivize source separation and the organics management hierarchy;

• Ensure that unpackaged food materials are not commingled with food packaging, and ensure that recyclable food packaging is recycled. Regulate the technologies (depackaging) that violate the law such that they can only be used where source separation of packaging from food scraps is not feasible;

• Adopt maximum standards of contaminants, like microplastics and PFAS, in materials that will be land-applied.

• Ensure transparency for farmers, gardeners and other consumers utilizing compost, digestate or other end products that may contain pollutants.

Support H.273, the Vermont BIPOC-led Land Access and Opportunity Act! Over the next couple of months, Seeding Power Vermont will be sending regular updates about the progress being made toward passing H.273, highlighting other land equity initiatives throughout the state, and encouraging folks to work with each other to change the narrative around what equitable land access actual means and looks like. Sign up for updates from the organizers at http://eepurl.com/hsKrQ9. #SeedingPowerVt

Take Action to support human rights in the supply chain!

• Deliver copies of this Milk with Dignity flyer to your local Hannaford customer service desk

• Organize a group to gather at your local Hannaford with signs calling for Milk with Dignity and take lots of pictures to share with us and post on social media

• Take photos with the Milk with Dignity lawn sign and send us a copy of the picture (we can mail you lawn signs if you need them or you can also print out this PDF of the lawn sign to use)

• Review the Milk with Dignity Action Toolkit for more information about supporting the campaign!

• Support Migrant Justice and this crucial work by making a financial contribution.

• Join the team of Rural Vermont folks that’s committed to taking monthly mini-actions to support Milk with Dignity. Learn more.

Every Town is a land based project focused on placing at least one parcel of quality land from every town in Vermont in trust with the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust for permanent BIPOC access and stewardship. More information here, to support this work check out the Go Fund Me.