Ontario proposing new rules when it comes to neonics

Mar 26, 2015

Trying to reduce usage by 80%

The province of Ontario is looking to take what could be considered the strongest stance in North America when it comes to neonicotinoid usage.

They are looking to protect bees, birds, butterflies and other pollinators by reducing the number of acres planted with neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seeds by 80% by 2017. They are doing this through proposed rules that would limit the sale and use of neonics.

The public can comment on the proposal until May 7, 2015 and if everything is approved, would officially take effect on July 1, 2015.

“After extensive consultation, our government is moving forward with the next phase of our comprehensive pollinator health strategy, based on the advice of agricultural leaders,” said Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Jeff Leal. “The proposed regulation released today is a balanced and practical way forward that would ensure farmers have access to treated seeds when needed.”

The decision to propose the limitations comes after consultations in winter of 2014-15. The regulations will protect pollinators and help the agricultural sector and look at other stressors to pollinator health including pesticides, loss of habitat, climate change and diseases.

In winter 2013-14, nearly 58% of Ontario bees died. The general percentage deemed acceptable by people in the bee industry is about 15%.

Bees and other pollinators pollinate about 13% of the agricultural crops in Ontario and are responsible for about $26 million in honey production.

Join the conversation and tell us what you think of Ontario taking a strong stance on neonics.

Bee flying towards a plant
Eduard Kyslynskyy
Shutterstock.com

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.