Save the Bees and Ban “Neoinic” Pesticides

If you’ve been paying vague attention to the news over the last decade, you probably know that we’ve been seeing an alarming decrease in bee populations since the early 2000s. Considering that our produce doesn’t actually grow itself and bees are our primary source of pollination, this is a bit of a concern for future life on our planet. Various governments have thrown cabals of scientists at the problem and, while they spent the usual amount of time arguing with each other, recently we have begun seeing results from various studies.

The most widely agreed upon cause of colony collapse is neonicotinoid pesticide usage.

So, what are “neonic” pesticides and what have they been doing to both humans and bees? They were first developed in the 1990s by Shell and Bayer as a reduced toxicity alternative to current pesticides on the market that would only target pests and not helpful insects. Its base is a compound chemically similar to nicotine, which acts as a natural insecticide. FYI: I honestly don’t understand why people voluntarily smoke poison.

The first pesticide developed by Shell was found not to be photosoluable, meaning that it didn’t break down in sunlight and was not viable for use with human consumables, so it was never released for public use. The second, which has been commercially available since the early 2000s, is water-soluable and will break down slowly when left in the environment. Since then, two other varieties have been developed and virtually all GMO corn grown in the Midwestern USA is treated with one of these types of pesticide. (Yay! They’ve basically been adding nicotine to food!)

So now that we’ve established this pesticide as not the best thing in the world, although better than what we used to use, what is the impact of “neonics” on bee populations? It is true that they aren’t killed. However, when this type of pesticide is applied to plants and a bee lands on them, the bee loses its ability to learn and remember navigation routes from its hive to their pollen sources. Simply put, they can no longer find their way home.

If that wasn’t enough, the bees that do make it back to their hive with infected pollen have unwittingly brought back a slow acting poison. In low doses on plants the pesticide doesn’t kill bees, but when concentrated while making the honey that provides the hive with nourishment, it often becomes lethal. To put it plainly, the bees are making their own food poisonous, which begs the question… what about the honey and produce that the everyday human is eating? With our larger bodies and such small amounts there aren’t the lethal effects seen in bees, but what about the neurological effects that are keeping bees from remembering where their hive is? It would be interesting to find out if those who developed memory disorders have had a wide exposure to this type of pesticide.

The European Union has already banned this class of pesticide, but Canada and the United States have not yet done so. There are initiatives by environmentalists and beekeepers to ban neonicotinoids in the United States and they have even filed a lawsuit against the Enviromental Protection Agency. Until they succeed, and here in Canada, that still puts even the regular garden bee at risk because garden centers regularly spray their plants with pesticides. You could buy a “bee-friendly” plant in the spring that has already been sprayed with the same pesticide that has been harming them!

Help Canada take action by signing the Suzuki Foundation’s “Petition to Ban Bee Killing Pesticides”

The Real Cost of Organic Meat

Meat has long been one of the most expensive items in organic food, often double in price! Why is Organic Meat more expensive and what difference does it have to the less-expensive non-organic meat that you find in the grocery store?

The typical reply for this question is, of course, that non-organic raised animals are given growth hormones, antibiotics, and other medications to prevent diseases caused by poor feeding and living conditions. Growth hormones have received a great deal of attention in the media lately as a potential cause of growth problems in young children. Antibiotics are a concern due to overexposure creating super-bugs that require stronger and stronger measures to combat them. Living conditions are cramped with animals often living in their own filth and fed only that which is least expensive, not necessarily what is best for the animal or the human later consuming them.

Photo Credit: Wendy Nuttall

In contrast, organic raised animals are allowed to roam free as soon as they are weaned. Their food consists mostly of what they would find in the wild, grasses and insects, supplemented by all organic feed imbued with naturally occurring minerals to make up for any deficiencies in local plants based on soil and weather conditions. When housed inside shelters, they are provided a space where they can move around that is cleaned regularly to help minimize disease without the use of medications and chemicals that later get passed on through the meat.

The benefits to the environment and local growers are numerous, but the biggest benefit that everyone can enjoy is the quality of the meat itself. One of the most expensive meats in the world is a type Serrano ham called “jamón ibérico.” It is produced only in Spain and in order to qualify, the pigs must only eat a very specific diet of naturally grown grass, herbs, acorns, and roots until they are old enough. Then they are switched to a diet of pure acorns and olives. This specific diet is so pronounced in the flavor of meat that it is renowned the world over as some the best cured ham in the world.

If the taste itself does not convince you, one experiment I have tried is to purchase a boneless organic chicken breast and a non-organic one. We cooked them up in separate pans on the stove, just something simple in a small amount of olive oil with a bit of salt and pepper. Same heat, same size pan. The non-organic chicken breast started out larger, but as it cooked down there was more and more liquid in the pan until it was the same size as the organic chicken breast in the next pan. The organic chicken breast had very little liquid in the pan in comparison. The technique is called “plumping,” injecting saltwater, chicken stock, or seaweed extract into the frozen chicken to make it appear bigger and make it heavier. That can mean that 15-30% of the chicken you paid for is actually water, up to an additional $1.70 per package!

Meat may seem like a costly alternative when purchasing organic, but once you add up every cost, to the environment, your health, and to your wallet, it isn’t that big an investment after all.