Montpelier, VT – The global consumer advocacy group Consumer Choice Center calls upon Governor Phil Scott to veto Bill H.706, which would ban the use of neonicotinoid-treated seeds in the state of Vermont. The ban would be detrimental for farmers and consumers alike, says the CCC’s Senior Policy Analyst Bill Wirtz.

“The House essentially copy-pasted efforts in New York and commissioned no impact assessment to test for the consequences of a ban. The reality is: a ban of neonicotinoid insecticides would leave farmers in Vermont exposed to insect attacks and damage their crops,” explains Wirtz.

“A working paper by the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University showed that in the European Union, a ban on insecticides led to reduced yields, increased insect damage, and higher insecticide resistance. As farmer protests sweep Europe, is Vermont keen on following its example with a high regulatory burden.”

“This legislation wants to protect pollinators, but not only do bees not pollinate the crops in question, bee numbers are also on the rise. Bees are the fastest-growing livestock in the United States. This shows that in interest of protecting consumers from even high food price inflation, and farmers from financial uncertainty, Governor Scott needs to veto this bill”, concludes Wirtz.