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JonEntinefounderanddirectoroftheGeneticLiteracyProjectnotesthatEuropeangrowersarenowforcedtousepesticidesthataredemonstrablyworsefortheenvironmentthanneonicotinoids.marketsegmentmanagerorBayerCropSciencealotogrowersnowuseplantersthatarenotequippedwiththeappropriateapplicator.Thesameproblemexistsorgrowerswhoarmoilseedrapeandmustreverttosprayapplicationandmorerequentvisualcropinspectioninautumnwhiletheyarealreadybusywithotherwork.Togobacktotheoldwayoarmingoilseedrapeisdifcult.Itsusuallypossiblebutarmoredifcultdependingonpestpressurehesays.BILLIONSATSTAKESincethebancameintoeectGerman-basedHumboldtForumorFoodandAgricultureHFFApublishedtheirstcomprehensivereviewothevalueoneonicotinoidtreatedseeds.Assessingthesocio-economicandenvironmentalcontributionsoneonicotinoidseedtreatmentsintheEUacrossthemajorcropsandinkeycountriesthestudyoundthatineonicotinoidseedtreatmentswerenolongeravailableinEuropetherewouldbeasigniicantreductionooodproductiondramaticallyalteringthecommoditiestradebalance.TheHFFAstudyshowsNeonicotinoidseedtreatmentscontributemorethan2billionannuallytoEUcommoditycroprevenues.Thevalueoneonicotinoidtreatedseedtogrowersversusnotusingpesticidesatallexceeds4billionperyear.Ithebancontinuesoveraive-yearperiodtheEUcouldloseupto17billionandacesigniicantpestpressure.IthetechnologyremainsunderabanEUarmerincomewoulddecreaseanaverageofvepercent.Atleast50000armjobswouldalsobelostacrosstheEU.ESAsSilvasaysitisdifculttograspallotheeectsatthistimebutthemodelingcon-ductedbytheHFFAstudyshowstheeconomicbeneftsoneonicotinoid-treatedseeds.Thereisanincreasingbodyoevidencesupportingtheviewthatneonicotinoid-treatedseedisoneothemosteectiveandtargetedormsocropprotectiontechnologyavailableLaScaleasays.TheHFFAstudyalsooundthatiusedcorrectlyneonicotinoidseedtreatmentscanbeusedsaelyorallmajorcropsacrossEurope.Thecropprotectionindustryisengaginginactivestewardshiptoensurethatthisisthecase.Inadditiontheseedseedtreatmentandcropprotectionindustrieshaverecentlyimplementedqualityassuranceanduserinormationmeasurestourtherimprovesaeuse.TIMERESTRICTIONREVERSALUNLIKELYDespitetheHFFAstudysindingsthoselikeJonEntinesaystudieslikeitdontcarryenoughweighttoconvincetheEUtoreverseitsban.EntineanAmericanauthorandjournalistandormerEmmy-winningproducerorbothNBCandABCNewsisounderanddirectorotheGeneticLiteracyProjectwhichpromotespublicawarenessogeneticsandscienceliteracy.Ithinkthereszerochancetheylldoanythingtoreversethebanbeorethetwoyearsareupnomatterhowdirethesituationishesays.Itshardtoun-ringabell.ItwouldbealongshotorthemtochangetheirmindsunlesstherewassomecredibleagencyaEuropeanonenotaU.S.onethatcameoutwithsomekindovindicatingreportawhistle-cleanstudythatputstheissuetorest.Politiciansarepoliticiansandthisisapoliticalissueasmuchasitisascienceissue.TheNFUsSmithagrees.Werekeentomakeregulatorsawarethatitheytakethesetoolsawayarmersmaylosecropsandthathasaneconomicimpactorthewidersociety.WecanonlytrytolobbytothebesteectbutwiththeByzantinenatureoEuropeanpoliticsyoucanneverbesure.EntinehaswrittenextensivelyontheEUneonicsbanandsaysthehypesurroundingneonicsisunlikelytodieointhenearuture.Theresnobeeapocalypsehappeningandthelinktoneonicsisverythin.Theproblemisthereisalotoindecisionandmurkydataouttherecombinedwithstudiesthatinalotocaseswerepoorlyexecutedthatlinkbeedeathstoneonics.Entinenotesthatgrowersarenoworcedtousepesticidesthataredemonstrablyworseortheenvironmentthanneonicotinoids.Itswhathappenswhenadvocacygroupswin.Theenvironmentandpublichealthdoesntalwayswin.Itssadbutthatshowpoliticsdistortsscience.NEONICSUPDATETHERESNOBEEAPOCALYPSEHAPPENINGANDTHELINKTONEONICSISVERYTHIN.Withstricterauthorisationcriteriaandahazard-basedassessmentapproachESAearsthatevenmoreproductswilldisappearornotmakeittomarketwiththebanineect.AsaresultESAhasdevelopedtheEuropeanSeedTreatmentAssuranceSchemeESTAtoensurequalityapplicationoplantprotectionproductstotheseedduringthetreatmentprocessaswellastheproperhandlingandsaeuseoqualitytreatedseed.OnlyESTA-certifedtreatmentacilitiescanusetheESTAlogoontheirproductstodocumentcomplianceandacilitatethereemovementotreatedseedthroughouttheEU.Syngentahasalsoimplementeditsownstewardshipsolutions.FormorethanadecadeOperationPollinatorhasbeenplacingpollinatorhabitatsandnutritionbackintoarmlandscapes.OurbiggestdisappointmentisthatarmerswillcontinuetobedeniedaccesstothiscropprotectiontechnologywhilenothingisdonetoimprovebeehealthLaScaleasays.BayeristryingitsbesttooersolutionsaswellbydevelopingsuchtechnologiesasSweepAiranewair-cleaningtechnologyordrillersthathelpscontroldustatplanting.Weareprovidingsupportorstewardshipmeasuresorurtheruseodust-reducingtechnologiesbecausewewanttheproductappliedtotheseedtostayontheseedGrussadds.8IEUROPEANSEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM