Whole Foods launches a sweet deal for the bees

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.

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.