Pesticides

NFU Applauds Ontario Government’s Application of Precautionary Principle to Neonicotinoid Use

<strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</spanNOVEMBER 26, 2014, Saskatoon, SK - </strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</spanThe National Farmers Union welcomes the Ontario government's announcement earlier this week that it is going to take concrete actions to protect pollinators, including limiting the use of neonicotinoid seed treatments in corn and soybeans. After investigating bee mortalities in corn and soybean growing regions of Ontario in 2012 and 2013 the Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) "concluded that current agricultural practices related to the use of neonicotinoid treated corn and soybean seed are not sustainable." The NFU says that despite coming to the conclusion that the current use of treated corn and soybean should not continue, PMRA decided to continue to act in the interest of the manufacturers and marketers of neonicotinoid seed treatment with only a few small changes including requiring farmers use a Bayer CropScience product as a lubricant when planting treated seed.</d Read more

NFU Submission on Flupyradifurone

November 3, 2014Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency Publications SectionPesticide Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA)Health Canada2720 Riverside DriveOttawa, ONK1A 0K9 Address Locator: 6604-E2 email: PMRA.publications@hc-sc.gc.ca To the Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency: <strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</spanRe</strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</span<strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</span:</strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</span<strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</span Proposed Registration Decision PRD2014 – 20, Flupyradifurone</strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</span The National Farmers Union (NFU) welcomes this opportunity to comment on the proposed registration of Flupyradifurone. From the information provided by PMRA in relation to this consultation, we note that Flupyradifurone is similar to the neonicotinoid class of insectici Read more

Environmental Commissioner’s Annual Report Highlights Key Issues for Agricultural Sector says NFU-O

(DENFIELD, ON, October 10, 2014 ) – The NFU-O is delighted that the Annual Report released this week from Gord Miller the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario has a focus on the agricultural sector. “The report highlights key issues that the NFU-O has been working to address for a number of years, and I am pleased that these recommendations are viewed as priorities,” said Karen Eatwell NFU-O President/Region 3 Coordinator.The NFU-O backs the Commissioner’s call to build on and actively promote integrated pest management to discourage the blanket use of broad-scale prophylactic pesticides. Miller has put forth a recommendation that both the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ministry of the Environment undertake monitoring to determine “the prevalence and effects of neonicotinoids in soil, waterways and wild plants.” Read more

Neonicotinoid Licensing System Encouraging, says NFU-O

(<strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</spanJULY 9, 2014, </strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</spanDENFIELD, ON) – The National Farmers Union in Ontario welcomes Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Hon. Jeff Leal’s recent announcement that Ontario intends to bring in measures to move away from the widespread, prophylactic use of neonicotinoid-based pesticidesin agriculture. The introduction of a licensing system by the spring 2015 season for the use ofseed treated with neonicotinoids will be a first step. A process requiring farmers and other commercial growers to apply for permits if they want to use neonicotinoid-treated seed should lead to decreased use of the insecticide on Ontario’s farmland. “We are pleased to see such quick action on a key election promise,” said Karen Eatwell, NFU Region 3 Coordinator/NFU-O President. Read more

Letter to Hon. Rona Ambrose re: Neonicotinoid Seed Treatments in Field Crops

July 3, 2014 Hon. Read more

NFU calls for moratorium on neonicotinoid seed treatments

<strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</spanNFU calls on Senate Committee to recommend five-year moratorium on neonicotinoid seed treatments</strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</span <strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</span(May 1, 2014, Ottawa)</strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</span – Today the National Farmers Union (NFU) appeared before the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry to provide Senators with the organization’s analysis and recommendations regarding the use of neonicotinoid seed treatments on field crops in Canada. The Senate Committee is currently studying the importance of bees and bee health in the production of honey, food and seed in Canada. “It has been little more than a decade since the product was introduced and already neonicotinoids are being used across Canada at an unprecedented scale, resulting in significant harm to bees and likely to wild pollinators and natural ecosystems as well,” said Ann Slater, NFU Vice-President, Policy. Read more

The Importance of Bees and Bee Health

Download PDF Version National Farmers UnionSubmission toStanding Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestryon The Importance of Bees and Bee HealthMay 1, 2014The National Farmers Union (NFU) is a non-partisan, nation-wide democratic organization made up of thousands of farm families across Canada who produce a wide variety of commodities, including grains and oilseeds, livestock, honey, fruits and vegetables. The NFU was founded in 1969. Our mandate is to work for policies designed to: Read more

Ontario Report on Bee Health a Missed Opportunity, says NFU

<strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</span(March 20, 2014, St. Read more

NFU calls for precaution and independent research in neonicotinoid review

<strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</span(December 17, 2013, St. Marys, ON) - </strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</spanThe National Farmers Union (NFU) is calling for aprecautionary five-year moratorium on the use of the neonicotinoid seed treatments for field crops and for independent research to be done. Such a moratorium would provide time to study the impacts of neonicotinoid insecticides on pollinators and the broader agricultural and natural ecosystems and to fully explore alternatives, including non-chemical alternatives. Read more

NFU Submission – Action to Protect Bees from Exposure to Neonicotinoid Pesticides

The National Farmers Union has submitted the following comments to Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) consultation on Action to Protect Bees from Exposure to Neonicotinoid Pesticides. PDF Version of NFU's submission December 10, 2013<div Read more