Rooted in gratitude for a good harvest, Thanksgiving is a day of togetherness and feasting for many Americans. Behind the scenes, however, the cornucopia of foods for which we give thanks is under siege, in part due to a new and widely used class of insecticides called neonicotinoids, or “neonics.”
As director of Pesticides Science and Regulation for the American Bird Conservancy, I can report these insecticides are killing bees, butterflies, birds, and quite possibly bats and other wildlife. As such, they are a direct threat to our Thanksgiving meal, wiping out the tiny buzzing “field hands” that pollinate hundreds of crops — roughly one-third of the foods we eat. Pollinators play an essential role in our Thanksgiving celebrations — from the squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli and other vegetables to the nuts, pumpkin desserts, apple pies and cranberry sauce.
For birds and bees, Thanksgiving is no holiday. Their protection demands that we do away with policies that allow excessive use of these ineffective and dangerous pesticides. Closer to home, as we prepare for our celebrations, let’s help save our pollinators by choosing carefully what we put in our shopping baskets and on our plates. We can help grow the market for sustainable, healthy, pesticide-free agriculture and help shrink the market for chemical intensive, neonic-contaminated products. As we give thanks for the bounty on our tables this Thanksgiving, let’s remember the birds and bees that made it all possible.
Cynthia Palmer
Washington, D.C.
