Ibama restricts the use of pesticides harmful to bees – 02/23/2024 – Environment

Ibama (Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) has restricted the use of pesticide products containing Thiamethoxam, a substance that decimates bees, important insects in the plant pollination process.

In a statement published in the Official Gazette of the Union this Friday (23), the agency maintained the use of these products in certain situations, such as direct application to the soil and seed treatment, but vetoed spraying, whether aerial (with the use of of agricultural aircraft) or land “not directed at the soil or plants, that is, applications in a total area”, according to the document.

Failure to comply with these determinations constitutes an environmental crime, subject to penalties provided for in legislation, without prejudice to other administrative sanctions.

According to the Ibama statement, labels and leaflets of products that have Thiamethoxam in their formula must contain information about the restrictions now defined.

“This product is toxic to bees. Aerial application is not permitted. Foliar spraying not directed to the soil or plants, that is, applications over the entire area, is not permitted”, says an excerpt from the statement.

“Do not apply this product during the flowering period, nor immediately before flowering or when bees visit the crop.”

The federal government has established a deadline of 180 days, starting this Friday, for holders of pesticide registration with Thiamethoxan as an active ingredient to make adjustments to the label and leaflet of their products.

Products purchased up to the date of publication of the notice may be used until they are exhausted, according to specifications present on labels and leaflets authorized at the time of purchase.

One of the main manufacturers, Syngenta, stated that the restriction “will have direct and profound impacts on the main Brazilian productions, which will inevitably bring social and economic consequences”, further stressing that these products provide effective control of certain pests in various crops, “which will lead to their loss of control if they are removed from the market”.

“We defend the maintenance of the aerial application of THMX [Tiametoxam] as it is essential in important crops, especially rice and sugar cane”, said the company in a statement reproduced on its website on the occasion of the reevaluation within Ibama.

Syngenta also cited a study by Embrapa, according to which banning the aerial application of insecticides would cause production losses of 30% to 90% – with the highest values ​​occurring in developing countries.

Appeared in the 1990s, Thiamethoxam is widely used in the country in soybean, tobacco, cotton, rice, beans, wheat, pineapple, among others.

Studies carried out in recent years have indicated that this type of pesticide is one of the most commonly found on fruits and vegetables in Brazil.

Ibama periodically reassesses the risks of pesticides for pollinating insects, using bees as indicator organisms.

“At any time, within the scope of registration requests or post-registration changes, it is possible to provide new information that scientifically supports the mitigation or elimination of the risks identified for bees and other pollinating insects”, says the agency.