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Join us in calling for a comprehensive plan to reduce pesticide use by 50% by 2030

Right now, the federal government is preparing its plan to reduce risk from pesticides by 50% by 2030 under Target Seven of the Biodiversity Strategy for Canada. We must act now to insist on real, measurable reductions of pesticide use.

Corporate lobbyists at the UN’s Global Biodiversity conference last December persuaded governments to change the Target Seven commitment from its original 50% reduction of pesticide use to 50% reduction of “the overall risk from pesticides”.

Pesticide manufacturers sold 30% more pesticides in the last ten years in Canada. Now, when they see governments of the world committed to reducing pesticide use, pesticide lobbyists are spreading lies about a risk to food security if pesticide use is reduced.

Our food security depends on pollinators – over 180,000 different plant species and more than 1200 crops depend on pollinators. You already know that one out of every three bites of food you eat is there because of pollinators. Pesticides are one of the key stressors for pollinators’ decline.

You have an opportunity to help put in place a plan to reduce the use of harmful pesticides by 50% by 2030.

Without a real plan with monitoring and reporting on pesticide use and residues, Canada will never reach this target.

The pesticide companies are spending big on lobbyists and advertising to undermine Canada’s reduction target – they’re saying that only by using more pesticides will we assure food security.

We urgently need your help.  Sign the letter to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change – feel free to personalize it.

Here are key elements that must be part of Canada’s plan:

  1. a permanent wild, native bee monitoring program delivered by Environment and Climate Change Canada with Agriculture and Agri-food Canada

Although there are laws, financing and other supports for the honey bee industry – treating honey bees somewhat like livestock – there are no dedicated programmes to monitor and support the welfare of Canada’s wild, native bees. A robust monitoring program for native bees is an essential tool for assessing the impact of pesticides on wild, native bees.

  1. a robust national water monitoring program for pesticide residues delivered by Environment and Climate Change Canada with input by PMRA and independent scientists

While there is a pilot project underway at PMRA, FOE and colleagues are concerned about the role of corporate interests in the way water samples are obtained. We’re also concerned that it is housed at PMRA instead of Environment and Climate Change Canada where there is less corporate influence (on this file at least). The PMRA’s backtracking on its decision to ban imidacloprid shows how corporate interference with monitoring programs can affect their decisions. Let’s NOT put the foxes in the chicken co-op by letting industry dictate to PMRA what the water monitoring program will do.

  1. pesticide use reports with real time information delivered by PMRA and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

With the current growth in pesticide sales – some 30% in the last 10 years – we need to know not only what is sold but where pesticides are used and when. Currently, Canada only reports on pesticides sales. FOE is calling for pesticide use data reporting modelled on the way California collects and reports real time pesticide use data to its citizens.

There’s a lot to do! We can’t build the pressure for these important elements without your important support.  There are three ways you can help:

Sign the letter to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change – feel free to personalize it.

Make a donation now if you can.

Share this information with your family and friends.