Nearly 500 million bees in Brazil have died from pesticide poisoning, with fipronil detected in 80% of the dead bees.

Release Date:

2019-09-19

According to a report by the Central News Agency on the 17th, two Brazilian institutions, after analyzing reports from state agricultural departments, stated that between December 2018 and February 2019, nearly 500 million bees died in Brazil, with 80% of the dead bees found to contain pesticides such as fipronil.

According to reports, from January 22 to 31, 2019, the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil, along with other authorities, discovered approximately 50 million dead bees during an inspection of honey producers in the region’s northern pristine forest areas. Laboratory analysis revealed that the deceased bees contained three types of pesticides, with fipronil being the most prevalent.

Agricultural scientist Nodari points out that these pesticides are highly lethal to bees. Typically, pesticides cause chronic neurological damage to bees, whereas insecticides like fipronil can be directly fatal. Moreover, if a bee that has been poisoned but not killed returns to the hive, the entire colony can become contaminated.

According to reports, after analyzing reports provided by state agricultural departments, the non-governmental organization “Brazilian Journalists” and the news agency “Public Institutions” found that from December 2018 to February 2019, fipronil and nicotine‑derived insecticides were the primary causes of the deaths of 400 million bees in Rio Grande do Sul, 45 million in Mato Grosso do Sul, and 7 million in São Paulo, with these substances detected in 80 percent of the dead bees.

Santa Catarina is Brazil’s largest honey-exporting state, with 99% of its production certified as organic. Producers fear that widespread bee deaths could cast doubt on the quality of Santa Catarina honey and harm their business.

Agricultural scientist Nodari stated that in just three months, nearly 500 million honeybees have died in Brazil—excluding wild bees—making the actual situation even more alarming.

Nodari pointed out that bees are nature’s primary pollinators, and their decline does not merely affect the honey supply chain. Without bee-mediated pollination, agricultural yields would plummet, potentially triggering food shortages and even food wars.

The “Brazilian Pollinator Project,” coordinated by Brazil’s Ministry of the Environment, indicates that 30 percent of the annual value of Brazilian agricultural production depends on pollinators, and that compensating for pollination services would cost approximately US$12 billion per year.

Source: China News Service

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