Ban neonicotinoid pesticides
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to ban neonicotinoid pesticides to protect bees and food security. The government responds that Health Canada’s PMRA regulates pesticides, has imposed mitigation measures and continues monitoring and research.
Why we would sign this petition
- Targets pesticides petitioners identify as likely contributors to bee declines, potentially reducing harm to pollinators and supporting crop pollination and food security.
- Applies the precautionary principle and aligns Canada with the EU action cited by the petitioners, signaling stronger environmental protection.
- A national ban would create regulatory clarity and could incentivize development and adoption of alternative, pollinator-friendly pest controls.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Bee declines have multiple causes; banning one pesticide class may not address complex, interacting stressors affecting colonies.
- A ban could limit tools available to farmers, raising concerns about crop protection, yields and economic impacts without guaranteed alternatives.
- Some may prefer continued, targeted risk-based re-evaluation, mitigation and research rather than an outright national prohibition.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada draw the attention of the House to the following: THAT, pollinators, including honeybees, are a central element of our food system and a critical pillar of our ecology; THAT, the impact of honeybees extends far beyond the pollination of commercial agricultural crops, but the monetary value of just this service is estimated to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars globally each year; THAT, in the past decade, extreme declines in bee populations have been measured across North America and throughout Europe, prompting widespread concern from citizens, scientists, and many governments; THAT, many theories have been put forward for this collapse of the bee population, but one of the most likely is a class of pesticides called neonicotinoids, which attack insects' central nervous systems causing paralysis and death, and have proven very harmful in sub-lethal quantities; THAT, following major scientific review of the risks associated with these pesticides, the European Commission began the process of implementing a full ban on the use of neonicotinoids in 2017. THEREFORE, YOUR PETITIONERS call upon the Government of Canada to, For the sake of our bees and our food security, follow Europe's lead, and adhere to the precautionary principle by banning the use of neonicotinoids in Canada.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Signed by The Honourable Heath MacDonald, PC, MP Bee populations and beekeepers. In 2024, Canada had 15,430 beekeepers keeping 829,120 honeybee colonies, representing an increase of 173% in the number of beekeepers and 19% in the number of colonies over the last ten years. Canadian beekeepers continue to work diligently to grow their operations, while addressing external and internal factors, and the federal government is committed to protecting the health of the Canadian bee population. It is important to note that bee population is monitored closely in Canada, with a multitude of factors contributing to bee mortality, making it a complex issue to address. Pest Control Products in Canada. Pest control products are regulated in Canada through a federal and provincial regulatory network that delivers a program of pre- and post-market scientific assessment, enforcement, education, and information dissemination. The registration and regulation of pesticides in Canada falls under the responsibility of Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency via the authority of the Pest Control Products Act. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada works closely with the Pest Management Regulatory Agency to help ensure that pesticides, when used according to directions, do not pose any unacceptable risks to humans and beneficial insects such as bees and other insect pollinators. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada supports the Pest Management Regulatory Agency’s rigorous, science-based evaluations of pesticides. Researching Pollinators. As part of the federal government’s 2024 Budget, $39 million over two years (2024-2025 and 2025-2026) was earmarked for “Sustainable Pesticide Management.” Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s portion of the allocated funds has been invested to accelerate research, development and adoption of alternative pest management solutions. This includes research to develop biological controls and biopesticides that reduce risks to pollinators. Federal and provincial governments have made investments to better understand and maintain healthy bee populations, including programs that support beekeepers and research geared towards maintaining healthy bee populations. Through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada works with the provinces to co-fund activities that support environmental sustainability, including bee health. For example, Ontario’s Honey Bee Health Initiative funds beekeeper operational improvements to reduce biosecurity risks, overwinter loss and the spread of pests and disease for honeybees. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists are engaged in research to support the health of pollinators, including honeybees. For example, an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada-led project known as “BeeCSI” that involved Canadian universities, was completed in 2024. The project sought to develop a bee health assessment and diagnosis platform, and several research articles have been published on its findings. These studies reveal important insights into the complex networks of stressors affecting honeybees, including diseases, parasites and pesticides, which are uniquely influenced by the agricultural crops honeybees encounter and the effects of climate. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists are also collaborating with an academic partner to evaluate a newly discovered chemical compound that could help beekeepers control Varroa mites, the leading cause of colony losses. Varroa mites are becoming increasingly difficult to manage as they are resistant to most commonly used treatments. These studies are ongoing with the aim of providing data to support the evaluation, registration and use of this compound in Canada. Response by the Minister of Health Signed by Maggie Chi Health Canada is aware of the importance of bees and the beekeeping industry, as well as the issues regarding bee health, including concerns over the potential effect of chronic pesticide exposure. The available science suggests that multiple factors acting in combination may be at play, including loss of habitat and food sources, diseases, viruses and pests, climate, and pesticide exposure. In Canada, pesticides are regulated federally under the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA), which is administered by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). PMRA’s number one priority is to protect the health and safety of Canadians and the environment, including pollinator insects. Before a pesticide is allowed to be used or sold in Canada, it must undergo a rigorous scientific assessment process that provides reasonable certainty that no harm to human health and the environment will occur when it is used according to label directions. Depending on the type of pesticide being evaluated, results from numerous scientific studies, in some cases hundreds of studies, may be required to determine whether the pesticide would have any negative effect on people, animals including beneficial insects, such as pollinators like bees, or plants, including organisms in the soil and water. Health Canada also regularly re-evaluates pesticides that are on the market to determine whether they continue to meet PMRA’s current health and environmental standards and hence, whether they should continue to be permitted for use in Canada. In 2012, Health Canada began receiving large numbers of bee incident reports. Health Canada, in collaboration with many stakeholders, implemented risk reduction measures to minimize exposure to pollinators. In 2014, Health Canada implemented additional restrictions when planting corn and soybean seeds treated with neonicotinoids in order to protect pollinators from dust generated during planting of treated seed. With these risk mitigation measures in place, Health Canada saw a significant decrease in the number of incidents reported. The number of bee incidents in 2014, 2015 and 2016 was 70–80% lower than in 2013 and the number of incident reports remained very low from 2017 to present. Health Canada continues to monitor the bee incident reports. Health Canada has also conducted several post-market reviews of neonicotinoid pesticides over the past decade. Throughout these reviews, Health Canada implemented measures to protect pollinators, such as cancelling certain uses of these pesticides and introducing additional restrictions to other uses for example: prohibiting spraying of some crops before or during bloom. These decisions were based on extensive information, including a wide range of published independent scientific studies, and assessments from internationally recognized regulatory bodies like the European Union. For more information on neonicotinoid insecticides – including the history of Health Canada’s reviews, recent regulatory updates, and scientific evaluations – Canadians can visit: Neonicotinoid insecticides – Canada.ca. It should be noted that Health Canada cannot speak to the decision-making process in other countries with regards to neonicotinoids, as each country takes into account its own legislative requirements, policies, and scientific analysis before making a decision. Nevertheless, Health Canada continues to monitor for new information related to neonicotinoids including impacts to pollinator insects and regulatory actions of other governments and will take appropriate action if there are reasonable grounds to believe that use of the products is resulting in risks of concern to human health or the environment. To help ensure agricultural practices across the country protect pollinators, Health Canada actively works with key stakeholders and federal and provincial agriculture and environment ministries. These collaborations help address data gaps and refine risk assessments. Health Canada also cooperates internationally through the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the International Commission for Plant-Pollinator Relationships (ICPPR) Bee Protection Working Group to develop improvements to pollinator risk assessment and mitigation, including the development of test guidelines and guidance documents. On October 14, 2025, Health Canada published its new Policy on Continuous Oversight (CO) of pesticides, shifting PMRA’s focus away from a traditional point-in-time scientific literature review process to a proactive monitoring approach throughout the regulatory lifecycle of a pesticide. This will result in more timely and transparent regulatory actions based on new and emerging science. Advice from Health Canada’s Science Advisory Committee on Pest Control Products (SAC-PCP) on the proposed systematic literature review approach was incorporated into the final policy. Along with other relevant studies and information, including pesticide incident reporting, foreign regulatory decisions and the water monitoring program, the PMRA is now better positioned to proactively identify potential emerging risk issues outside of re-evaluation in a timelier fashion, enhancing protection of the health and safety of Canadians and the environment, including with respect to pollinators. For more information on Health Canada's initiatives to protect pollinators, Canadians may visit: Pollinator protection – Canada.ca.