Market Action on Neonics

We are very pleased to announce that most of Canada’s largest garden centres have confirmed they’ve removed neonics from the flowering plants they sell.

With the support of concerned citizens across Canada, we spent the last five years testing flowering plants from garden centres across Canada for bee-toxic neonicotinoid pesticides. As you know, neonics are systemic pesticides that are taken up by the whole plant and contaminate the nectar and pollen which is so important to wild native bees, honey bees and other pollinators.

Have a look at our results below. As you will see, it’s time to claim success.

Please let us know if you have information on your local garden centres and their efforts to remove neonics.

2019 – Canadian garden centre retailers act on neonicotinoids:

Stores/brands:
Loblaws, Zehrs, Your Independent Grocer, etc.

Statement on neonics (excerpt):
Most of our vendors did confirm that an Integrated Pest Management system is in use whereby biological control (predator insects) are utilized and neonicotinoids are limited in their use, as a last resort and only on a subset of plants.

Stores/brands:
Home Hardware, Home Building Centre, Home Furniture, etc.

Statement on neonics (excerpt):
Distributions centres, which provide product to our nearly 1,100 stores across Canada (including their garden centres) remain 100% neonicotinoid-free.

Stores/brands:
Costco Stores

Statement on neonics (excerpt):
Suppliers are encouraged to phase out the use of neonicotinoids and chlorpyrifos (and they) seek to partner with suppliers who share our commitment to pollinator health and IPM (integrated pest management).

Stores/brands:
Costco Stores

Statement on neonics (excerpt):
Neonics free on all our live goods and seeds in our Lowe’s, RONA and Reno-Depot corporate stores across Canada.

Stores/brands:
Canadian Tire Stores

Statement on neonics (excerpt):
87% of the plants sold have not been exposed to neonicotinoid pesticides during their care. Of the remaining plants that may have been exposed to spot use, only a small percentage would have been exposed to neonicotinoids and as a result we believe that over 95% of the plants we sell are neonicotinoid-free…(their) top three breeders no longer use any neonics at their propagation farms, reducing the chance of their plants being exposed to neonicotinoid pesticides during the seed or cutting start of the product life cycle.

Stores/brands:
Walmart and Walmart Superstores

Statement on neonics (excerpt):
As of May 2017, its growers have eliminated neonics from approximately 80 percent of its garden plants. No specific response on garden plants sold in Canada

Stores/brands:
Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, etc.

Statement on neonics (excerpt):
Sobeys is committed to providing quality products that are consistent with
our values. We are committed to continually working with our supplier
partners, industry experts and government organizations with respect to the
use of pesticides to protect pollinator health and ensure that all new and
ongoing regulations are met nationally throughout our stores and across the
more than 900 communities in which we operate.

Stores/brands:
Home Depot Stores

Statement on neonics (excerpt):
Plants sold in Canada 100 percent free of neonicotinoids

Stores/brands:
Kent Building Supplies stores

Statement on neonics (excerpt):
No response

Stores/brands:
Serres Lambert Inc., Comptoir richelieu Inc., Scardera Fleurs et Jardins, Pépinière Dorobi, etc.

Statement on neonics (excerpt):
No response

Stores/brands:
Art Knapp stores

Statement on neonics (excerpt):
No response

Stores/brands:
Sheridan Nurseries

Statement on neonics (excerpt):
All plants grown by Sheridan Nurseries are neonics free. As well, our main bedding plant supplier, Linwell Gardens, assures us that they are neonics free and the seed they use have not been treated with neonics…embarked on a program to ask all their plant suppliers to confirm in writing if their plants are neonicotinoid free.

The information above has been collected from corporate statements, email correspondence, in-store visits, and news releases. If you notice any discrepancies between what we have reported above and what you have experienced in store, please let us know by emailing foe[at]foecanada[dot]org. We will update this chart as new information becomes available, and as retailers move to make further changes!

If you are interested in learning more about how some of these garden centre retailers are taking action against neonicotinoids, you can read their full statements below: