Australian agriculture relies heavily on honey bees (Apis mellifera) and other pollinators for crop pollination. However, crop protection product labels do not always provide a comprehensive list of all ingredients, especially inert and adjuvant ingredients to increase coverage or potency. Growers and beekeepers are seeking clearer labelling guidance to better manage bee hive health in crops during and after crop protection application events. 

Crop protection products are necessary for food production however, we need more information about impacts upon bees and other pollinators, even at sublethal concentrations.  Not knowing what is in crop protection products or how it impacts bees means that beekeepers may be exposing bees and other pollinators to high concentrations of compounds that are toxic to bees. Beekeepers have reported hive deaths following crop protection spray events after reintroducing hives to crops. Even without hive deaths, over time, these compounds may impact bee health and accumulate in parts of hives including frames of wax and honey.  

This petition is the first step in enacting legislation change. Your signature provides evidence that there is support for transparency in labelling of all crop protection products. Communication with the Hon Barnaby Joyce MP indicates that he supports this legislation change and has written to the Hon Julie Collins MP (Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) requesting that consideration be given to transparency in labelling of crop protection products. Mr Joyce will forward all signatures to Ms Collins.  

Lists of all chemicals present in crop protection products will allow better understanding of which products may be impacting bees and to determine the best timeframe after and between spray events to be sure spray products have degraded sufficiently. This information will allow growers and beekeepers to work together to continue to produce food while protecting our pollinators.  

Thank you for your support!

Carolyn Sonter

BEnvSc, BSc(Hons), PhD