Across the U.S., millions of acres are planted with seeds coated in neonicotinoid pesticides, affecting ecosystems.

Neonicotinoids are neurotoxic chemicals designed to protect crops by turning the growing plant itself toxic.

Crops absorb just 5% of the chemical coating. The remaining 95% leaches into soil, groundwater, and runoff.

A single pesticide-coated corn seed contains enough toxic chemical to kill a small songbird instantly.

The contaminated dust generated during spring planting is a leading driver of mass die-offs in native bees.

Rain washes these chemicals into streams, decimating aquatic insects that form the base of the food web.

Farmers use coated seeds preemptively, often without evidence of pest threats, locking in a toxic cycle.

Because they are labeled 'treated articles,' these seeds largely bypass standard EPA pesticide oversight.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and crop rotation offer sustainable ways to protect yields safely.