Dozens of people and 2.5M dead bees gather at Bayer Crop Science to call on corporate responsibility for global pollinator decline
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Local contact: Preston Peck, 919-833-1123 (O); 256-483-9503 (C), preston@toxicfreenc.org
National contact: Tiffany Finck-Haynes, (202) 222-0715, tfinckhaynes@foe.org
Communications contact: Kate Colwell, (202) 222-0744, kcolwell@foe.org
Dozens of people and 2.5M dead bees gather at Bayer Crop Science to call on corporate responsibility for global pollinator decline
Research Triangle Park, NC – Dozens of people from across North Carolina and the nation gathered at Bayer Crop Science North American Headquarters in Research Triangle Park on Monday to bring awareness to global pollinator decline. The group gathered around 2.5M dead bees that were trucked across the nation to represent the kills that many beekeepers face due to pesticides every year.
The rally and press conference was part of the national Keep the Hives Alive Tour that stopped in cities in California, South Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania and North Carolina during National Pollinator Week, June 13-23. Later this week, beekeepers, farmers, farmworkers, scientists and advocates will bring the truck load dead bees to Washington, D.C. to urge the EPA, the USDA and Congress to take action on toxic pesticides and support sustainable agriculture.
“Personally, I think pesticide loads are something that need to be looked at a lot more. That’s one thing that the (chemical) industry…it’s like a red herring or a giant elephant in the room for them,” said James Cook, a Minnesota-based commercial beekeeper, who drove the dead bees to North Carolina. “They don’t really want to talk about and look at what is actually going on with the relationship between pollinators and pesticides because I think they know what they would find. It would show a lot of issues going on there.”
Raleigh based non-profit, Toxic Free North Carolina, hosted the rally and press conference in front of Bayer Crop Science North American Headquarters in Research Triangle Park. This beekeeper, farmer, and activist led action called on major pesticide-producing companies, such as Bayer Crop Science, to take on more corporate responsibility by phasing out bee-killing pesticides that researchers are finding in our soil, water, and disrupting various ecosystems. Speakers included beekeepers, activists, and farmers like Charles McNair, founder of Freedom Farm in Goldsboro that promotes youth empowerment though agriculture.
“We don’t just grow food, we grow soil.” said McNair. “Everything we need to protect food cultivation can be found in nature.”
Other speakers included, Representative John Ager from Buncombe County, Liz Lindsey, NC Master Beekeeper, Tony Kleese, farmer and owner of Earthwise Organics, and Nick Wood, State Organizer with Appalachian Voices.
Bayer representatives were on site, but declined to come to the event to listen to the stories presented by the speakers despite numerous invitations.
The truck transporting the bees is now on the way to Washington D.C. for a similar event outside of the EPA where farmers, beekeepers, and other supporters will meet with agency officials and have a Congressional Briefing on Thursday.
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Toxic Free NC’s mission is to engage North Carolinians in the transition to a toxic free society through initiatives that promote human and environmental health.
Keep the Hives Alive is supported through Pollinator Stewardship Council, Friends of the Earth, Center for Food Safety, Minnesota-California Honey Company, and Organic Consumers Association
