The British Supermarket chain Co-op has decided to "ban" or, more accurately, reduce levels of neonicitinoids from its own-brand produce, following actual bans in France, Germany, Italy and Slovenia. Neonicitnoids have been implicated in Colony Collapse Disorder, which has killed millions of honeybees worldwide. Studies are still inconclusive, but suggest a strong link between this class of pesticides and bee deaths. The Co-op will therefore "temporarily ban" the chemicals:

From the Guardian: "[Co-op] is prohibiting suppliers of its own-brand fresh produce from using eight pesticides that have been connected to honeybee colony collapse disorder and are already restricted in some parts of Europe.

The Co-op said it will eliminate the usage of the neonicotinoid family of chemicals where possible and until they are shown to be safe. The Co-op has over 70,000 acres of land under cultivation in England and Scotland, making it the largest farmer in the UK. Since 2001, it has already prohibited the use of 98 pesticides under its pesticide policy."

The "where possible" clause of the second paragraph is troubling: which crops are impossible to grow without neonicitinoids? And how can Co-op call it a ban if they're merely reducing the levels of chemicals used, or only using them on certain crops?

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