A Just Transition Away from Neonicotinoid Pesticides

Rural VT has worked alongside many other organizations for a number of years to reduce and limit the use and impacts of neonicotinoid pesticides (“neonics”) - while supporting producers who are currently using these seeds and products in transition.  

In 2019 we worked with a coalition of organizations (the VT Pesticide Coalition) on H.205 (Act 35) to make neonic products (other than treated seeds) “restricted use” - meaning they were effectively taken off store shelves, and only could be applied by a licensed applicator.  In 2020, this coalition planned on working on legislation addressing treated seeds - however the advent of the Covid 19 pandemic brought other priorities forth.  

In 2021, we again worked alongside others to bring more accountability to the Vermont Pesticide Advisory Council (the body functionally recommending how to regulate pesticides in VT at the time).  The legislature instead created a new entity in H.434 to replace VPAC - the Agricultural Innovation Board, whose duties go beyond VPAC’s to include plastics and other toxics - and we worked to address the make-up of the board and its charges.  

In 2022, we again advocated in relationship to a bill (H.626 or Act 145) we did not know had been drafted which originally sought to transition away from the prophylactic use of neonic treated seed over a few years; however, it was rewritten in committee to task the Agricultural Innovation Board with a number of tasks and legislative reports, including: requiring the Agency of Agriculture, in consultation with the AIB, to adopt by rule BMPs for the use of neonicotinoid treated seeds;  requiring the Sec. of Agriculture to, “work with farmers, seed companies, and other relevant parties to ensure that farmers have access to appropriate varieties and amounts of untreated seed or treated seed that are not neonicotinoid treated article seeds”; a new program of monitoring managed pollinator health and developing benchmarks associated with it;  requiring the Agency and AIB submit their proposed rules to the Agriculture Committees and General Assembly in 2024, and in the case of BMPs for all treated article seed (as opposed to neonics alone) to the Ag Committees by February 15, 2023; among other things. 

Now, in 2023, we are a member of the “Protect our Pollinators” coalition which is working towards legislation which will further reduce and restrict the use of neonicotinoids in the environment, including phasing out the use of neonicotinoid treated seeds in VT, while advocating for the support needed for farmers to transition.  Currently, an overwhelming majority of corn seed (by some estimates, app. 99%) used in Vermont is treated with neonicotinoid pesticides and used prophylactically by farmers - but research shows that they rarely (in app. 10% of cases) provide an economic or agronomic benefit for farmers, namely during times with high pest pressure.  They also have significant detrimental impacts to insects, birds, and mammals - and can persist in the environment for years.  We have for many years now seen precedent for this type of policy set in places like the European Union, Ontario, and Quebec, and in 2022 the state of New York passed a bill that is awaiting the Governor’s signature.  

Please visit the coalition website to sign our petition calling for phase out of neonicotinoid treated seeds and a just transition for farmers!  We’ll keep you up to date on the campaign as it develops!