Two new studies from Europe
show that the number of birds in agricultural areas of France has
crashed by a third in just 15 years, with some species being almost
eradicated. The collapse in the bird population mirrors the discovery last October
that more than three quarters of all flying insects in Germany have
vanished in just three decades. Insects are the staple food source of
birds, the pollinators of fruits and the aerators of the soil.
The chief suspect in this mass extinction is the aggressive use of neonicotinoid pesticides, particularly imidacloprid and clothianidin, both made by the Germany-based chemical giant Bayer. These pesticides, along with toxic glyphosate herbicides such as Roundup,
have delivered a one-two punch to monarch butterflies, honeybees and
birds. But rather than banning these toxic chemicals, on March 21 the EU approved
the $66 billion merger of Bayer and Monsanto, the U.S. agribusiness
giant that produces Roundup and the genetically modified (GMO) seeds
that have reduced seed diversity globally. The merger will make the
Bayer-Monsanto conglomerate the largest seed and pesticide company in
the world, giving it enormous power to control farm practices, putting
private profits over the public interest.
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