"Why Farmers Use Harmful Insecticides They May Not Need"

"Neonicotinoids coat nearly all the corn and soybean seeds available for planting. Agrichemical companies have designed it that way."

"Nearly all commodity corn farmers receive seed coated with neonics each season.

Many cannot identify the chemical coating on their seeds and only opt for it because a seed salesperson recommends it.

Companies have made it nearly impossible for farmers to find corn seed that isn’t coated with neonics.

Farmers often feel peer pressure not to ask questions or change their practices in the face of concerns about neonics’ safety."

Lisa Held reports for Civil Eats October 30, 2024.