British Honeybees Petition

British Honeybees need you – do the Green Thing and sign the Soil Association’s petition today to help get those nasty Neonicotinoids banned for good.

In the last two years the number of bee colonies in the UK has dropped by a third and consequently food miles on honey are on the up and the biodiversity of the British countryside is threatened.  There is now overwhelming scientific evidence that singles out Neonicotinoids, a highly effective insecticide, as the principle offender. 

Since the mid 1990s (that’s about 15 years ago), Neonicotinoids, have been used in commercial agriculture to maximise crop yields.  However, it turns out that these chemical nasties are having some worrying side effects on bees and in particular, honeybees.  Even if you don’t like honey on your toast, there are a few good reasons to be concerned about the dwindling bee population in the UK.  Firstly bees are the natural part the food chain; unlike Neonicotinoids they work in a positive way, pollinating crops and maintaining the biodiversity we enjoy in the countryside.  Secondly they have been performing this role for millions of years and it would be a shame (and rather short sighted) to loose all that hard work in just a few years.

For the full report on the effects of Neonicotinoids, visit the Soil Association’s website.

However, there is a simple solution that can help our bee colonies to thrive again – ban Neonicotinoids.  Several of our European neighbours, including France, Germany, Italy and Slovenia have all taken this important action and now thanks to the Soil Association’s petition to lobby the government, the UK could do the sensible green thing too.  Sign the petition online today, its quick and easy and will make a big difference. 

Find out about the other work the Soil Association is involved in here.

SHARE THIS