NOVEMBER 2017 GERMINATION.CA 57 Who said what? NEONICS COULD BE ‘DEVASTATING’ WILD BUMBLEBEES Bumblebees are less able to start colonies when exposed to a common neonicotinoid pesticide, according to a new University of Guelph study. Nigel Raine has discovered that exposure to thiamethoxam reduces the chances of a bumblebee queen starting a new colony by more than a quarter. “Bumblebeequeensthatwereexposedtotheneonicotinoidwere 26 per cent less likely to lay eggs to start a colony,” said Raine, holder of the Rebanks Family Chair in Pollinator Conservation. “Areductionthisbigintheabilityofqueenstostartnewcolonies significantly increases the chances that wild populations could go extinct.” The researchers examined the impacts of exposing the queen bumblebees to thiamethoxam in spring when they emerge from hibernation and are preparing to lay their first eggs and estab- lish a colony. The queens exposed to pesticides laid 26 per cent fewer eggs. “Thisstudyshowsthatneonicotinoidscouldbehavingadevas- tating effect on wild bumblebee populations,” said Raine. AG SECTOR MUST UNDERSTAND PUBLIC’S EXPECTATIONS Public trust and transparency continue to evolve as priority agenda items for many stakeholders and governments across the agri- food sector from coast to coast. If transparency is no longer optional, what does that mean and what actions are needed by those who work in food or farming? The Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI) 2017 public trust research focuses on transparency, trust and millennials as a key driver in their efforts to help Canada’s food system earn trust. “Asdiscussionsevolvefromidentifyingpublictrustasaprioritytoestablishingstrategyandactionplansforthefuture,it’sessential for our agri-food sector leaders to understand the values and expectations of the Canadian public,” says Kim McConnell, CCFI chair. Building on the benchmark work established in 2016, this year’s CCFI research will take a deeper dive into transparency to help establish what consumers are looking for and from whom. The research was released at the CCFI Public Trust Summit in Calgary Sept. 18-20, along with a new transparency index tool for companies and associations to use to measure their efforts on transparency with some best management practices. $10 MILLION FACILITY UPGRADE TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY BASF North America Operations Director Octavio Soares sat down with Germination in Saskatoon, Sask., in August to dis- cussthecompany’s$10millionexpansiontoitsfacilitythereand the benefits it will have for the local community. “We believe that being part of the community means you’re engaged not only in [giving opportunities] to people who work for you, but then having those people go back into the com- munity and help support others in that community,” he said. “Wesupporttheengagementofouremployeesindifferentcom- munityactivities.WehavepeopleinvolvedintheSaskatoonfood bank, they’ve helped fundraise through the local dragon boat festival, MS Society events. It’s important to have that com- munity connection and help make that community stronger.” Aside from increasing the site’s production volume capacity, the improvements will ensure greater production efficiency and operational safety. Currently, the facility is dedicated to the research, development and manufacture of seed- and soil- applied inoculants. In addition to the Saskatoon site, BASF recently invested more than CDN$828 million in its eight other North American agri- cultural products production sites and facilities that support its agricultural business. For a full Giant Views video interview with Soares, visit https://goo.gl/yko5KH.