THE SOLUTION

The Campaign for the Seed We Need supports eliminating the unnecessary use of neonics in Colorado. Our state has already taken important steps in this direction, including offering a tax credit to farmers for using corn, wheat, and soybean seed without neonic coatings, but more needs to be done.

Honeybees in golden light at hive entrance near wheat.
Illustration of corn plants with green leaves and tall stalks against a black background.

Need-based use programs work!

Many field crop seeds planted in Colorado have neonic coatings added to them automatically, whether or not there’s a pest problem they could solve, and whether or not the farmer wants them. Colorado should adopt a need-based use program that ends this wasteful practice, while preserving flexibility for farmers. 

Need-based use has successfully prevented neonic pollution in Quebec, where neonic corn seed treatment has gone from near universal to near zero in just five years, while maintaining or improving yields. Testing shows significant reductions in neonic contamination of water. 

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We need to put the health of our communities first and limit unnecessary uses of neonics. New York and Vermont have already passed laws that will reduce neonic pollution, and it’s time for Colorado to join these states as a leader.