Neonicotinoids are further restricted in the United States

In an interim report on three types of neonicotinoids, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded that the coatings would “adversely affect” the habitats of thousands of endangered plant and animal species. The immediate ban will have major consequences for US agriculture.

These are the herbicides imidacloprid, glutinidine and thiomethox, which are commonly used in the cultivation of soybeans, sweet potatoes, maize, wheat and cotton seeds. Neonicotinoids are used on hundreds of millions of acres of U.S. farmland. In the EU, the use of these three neonicotinoids has been subject to strict regulations since 2018.

The EPA has long refused to recognize chemicals under international treaties for the protection of endangered species (red list), but has recently been forced to do so by legal processes. All pesticides in the United States should be subject to this screening, but the EPA has only just begun. The environmental researcher granted interim registration approval for all three neonicotinoids in January 2020, but these were finalized only after additional safety measures.

Recently, the US company released an estimate for glyphosate, which is now waiting for additional application instructions.