Ban Toxic Pesticides

Whole Foods launches a sweet deal for the bees

Whole Foods is joining the fight to save the bees by banning toxic pesticides for their growers and florists starting in 2025.

Save the bees

Sandra-Beatrice Molnar | Unsplash.com

Recently, Sustainability Chief of Whole Foods Caitlin Leibert promoted an exciting initiative for 2025: a ban on harmful pesticides for all their produce growers and florists.

The class of pesticides in question, known as neonicotinoids (or neonics, for short), are highly toxic to bees and other pollinators. Neonics have been proven to cause extensive damage to bees’ brains, behavioral changes, immune system weakening and reproductive issues.

Tractor spraying pesticides on vegetable field with sprayer at spring
Fotokostic | Shutterstock.com
The pesticides sprayed on our farms threaten the health of our ecosystems and communities.

Several states have already banned neonics altogether to help protect our pollinators and boost the health of crops and wildlife across the country.

Whole Foods isn’t alone in this—Kroger is jumping on board too, with a similar initiative for their produce growers set for 2028. Walmart also has a pollinator protection program.

These moves are all part of a bigger effort to save the bees. Pollinators are, after all, vital to our favorite foods, flowers and fauna.

But there’s more to do. If we really want to save the bees, we need to stop using the pesticides that kill them.

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