DOCUMENT D’INFORMATION : Les néonicotinoïdes, les abeilles domestiques et la sécurité alimentaire

This fact sheet details the negative impacts of neonicotinoid pesticides on honeybees and biodiversity, highlighting significant colony losses in Canada, particularly in Ontario and Quebec. It cites scientific reviews linking these chemicals to arthropod toxicity and potential human health risks, while noting that their agricultural benefits are often negligible. The document warns that the loss of pollinators could lead to substantial decreases in global fruit and vegetable production and increased mortality from nutritional deficiencies.

• Neonicotinoids are systemic pesticides that spread throughout a plant, including pollen, nectar, and fruit flesh. They are the most widely used pesticides globally, accounting for more than 25% of the global market share, and are most frequently used with corn, canola, soybeans, dry beans, and small grains.
• A multidisciplinary review of 1,121 peer-reviewed studies found that neonicotinoids and fipronil are extremely toxic to most arthropods and toxic to vertebrates like fish and birds. They are persistent in soil, water-soluble, and linked to honeybee colony declines, including increased mortality, reduced fertility, and impaired learning.
• Honeybee colony losses during winter in Canada have increased from a historical average of 10-15% to 29% over a nine-year period. In Ontario, winter losses reached 58% in 2013 and 38% in 2014. Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency concluded that neonicotinoid exposure contributed to abnormally high mortality rates in southern Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba.
• In Ontario, honeybees and bumblebees pollinate crops with an annual value of approximately 897 million dollars, representing about 13% of the province's total crop value. Nearly all corn seeds and 65% of soybean seeds in Ontario are treated with neonicotinoids. The Ontario government aimed to reduce the area of land receiving treated seeds by 80% by 2017 to lower bee mortality by 15% by 2020.
• In Quebec, the commercial value of honeybees for crop pollination is estimated at over 166 million dollars annually. Between 35% and 50% of soybean seeds and nearly all corn seeds are treated with neonicotinoids, covering over 500,000 hectares. The Quebec government's 2015-2018 Pesticide Strategy aims to reduce use by banning aesthetic applications and requiring professional agronomic justification for 100% of agricultural uses.
• The total disappearance of pollinators could severely impact global food security. A Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health study estimated that global production of fruits would drop by 23%, vegetables by 16%, and nuts and seeds by 22%, potentially increasing annual deaths from chronic and nutritional diseases by 1.42 million cases.
• Evidence suggests that systematic neonicotinoid seed treatment often provides negligible benefits. The US EPA found negligible general benefits for soybean production, and CÉROM studies in Quebec showed no significant yield increase for corn even with low pest presence. A Health Canada internal report estimated a national ban would result in a net income loss of 91.3 million dollars for farmers, a 1.9% reduction in total income.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2016). DOCUMENT D’INFORMATION : Les néonicotinoïdes, les abeilles domestiques et la sécurité alimentaire. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/3.Document-d%E2%80%99information-%E2%80%93-Les-ne%CC%81onicotinoi%CC%88des-les-abeilles-domestiques-et-la-se%CC%81curite%CC%81-alimentaire.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. DOCUMENT D’INFORMATION : Les néonicotinoïdes, les abeilles domestiques et la sécurité alimentaire. 2016. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/3.Document-d%E2%80%99information-%E2%80%93-Les-ne%CC%81onicotinoi%CC%88des-les-abeilles-domestiques-et-la-se%CC%81curite%CC%81-alimentaire.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=DOCUMENT D’INFORMATION : Les néonicotinoïdes, les abeilles domestiques et la sécurité alimentaire |date=May 2016 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/3.Document-d%E2%80%99information-%E2%80%93-Les-ne%CC%81onicotinoi%CC%88des-les-abeilles-domestiques-et-la-se%CC%81curite%CC%81-alimentaire.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2016document, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{DOCUMENT D’INFORMATION : Les néonicotinoïdes, les abeilles domestiques et la sécurité alimentaire}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2016}, month = may, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/3.Document-d%E2%80%99information-%E2%80%93-Les-ne%CC%81onicotinoi%CC%88des-les-abeilles-domestiques-et-la-se%CC%81curite%CC%81-alimentaire.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }