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The biotech people love to hate may generate even more antipathy by pushing ahead with chemically treated seeds that don’t help farmers increase yields — and may kill bees and birds. Photo: Flickr via Donna Cleveland.

Biotech giant
Monsanto has a serious public relations image problem, one that’s increasing over time. And because it intends to keep selling seed that offers no benefit to crop yields — but has been treated with chemicals linked to the destruction of the honeybee population — its reputation will be further sullied.

With friends like this
A Harris Poll from
Nielsen earlier this year found Monsanto’s reputation ranked third worst among 60 high-profile companies, behind only
BP, which was responsible for the worst oil spill in U.S. history, and
Bank of America, which played a leading role in the financial market meltdown.

That’s some ignominious company to keep, but Monsanto’s reputation might sink further: it remains steadfastly committed to selling soybean seeds treated with neonicotinoids, the nerve agents used to treat about one-third of the U.S.’s planted crops, which are thought to be a leading cause of honeybee colony collapse disorder, or CCD. This even though the Environmental Protection Agency just said that neonicotinoids do not improve crop yields.

According to the EPA, “in most cases there is no difference in soybean yield when soybean seed was treated with neonicotinoids versus not receiving any insect control treatment.” Moreover, the agency says there are foliar treatments — i.e., insecticide treatments sprayed on a plant’s leaves — that are at least as effective as treated seeds and typically cost farmers less to apply.

A witch’s brew

There are three main neonicotinoids used for insect control: imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, and clothianidin. The first two are the primary agents used in soybean seed production, while the latter one has been registered but is rarely used.

Monsanto, though, doesn’t make the chemicals. Rather
Bayer,
Dow Chemical, and
Syngenta are the primary manufacturers, with global conglomerates like
Sumitomo,
Mitsui, and Nippon Soda adding to their wider distribution.

And there is heated debate over whether their use actually causes CCD. While the European Food Safety Authority finds them to be an “unacceptable” danger to bee populations, the U.S. Agriculture Dept. does not, and calls into question the studies that have linked the pesticides to the harm the honeybees have suffered.