Bayer and the bees | DW Documentary
Insecticides are sometimes necessary in farming. But some substances, like neonicotinoids, kill not only pests but bees as well. Now the Bayer Group, one of the main manufacturers of these pesticides, is coming under pressure.
Scientists around the world have found that neonicotinoids are the main cause of mass bee deaths. Research has shown that a number of insecticides should have been banned long ago. For years, the Bayer Group has sought to silence the critics and pressure scientists into not publishing their findings.
For more than two decades, experts have been warning of the negative effects of neonicotinoids, with a whole range of studies published on the subject. It would appear that the industry, aided by the authorities, managed to successfully delay any ban on these substances for years. Studies show that neonicotinoids not only kill pests, but also bees and other beneficial insects. Dutch toxicologist Henk Tennekes was among the first to recognize the problem. He believes neonicotinoids are the most toxic insecticides ever produced. He discovered a study carried out by Bayer itself, back in 1991, which found that a particular neonicotinoid had a negative effect on the nervous system of a fly species. These effects were said to be "irreversible”. Tennekes then confronted the company with his findings. He was taken aback by the response: "Bayer now claims” he says, "that the binding of critical receptors in the nervous system by neonicotinoids is reversible. So they’re contradicting the results of their own study. ... If they had considered what impact this substance has, they would have had to take it off the market."
Scientists in France also analyzed mass bee deaths and likewise identified an insecticide made by Bayer as the culprit. Toxicologist Jean-Marc Bonmatin reveals how the company then sought to prevent the results from being published. Meanwhile, toxicologists in Japan discovered that neonicotinoids also harm other creatures, such as fish and river crabs. There too, Bayer sought to suppress publication.
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As a child (born 1956) I was living close to a huge Bayer plant in North-Rhine Westphalia. From an early age, I was suffering badly from chest infections and chronic bronchitis. Over the following years, I remember my parents talking about the nasty yellow cloud that was combing our district whenever the winds allowed. It was kind of a yellow-brown and badly smelling gas-like cloud which settled down while lingering for hours if not days.
So nice to see real investigative journalism. It’s becoming exceedingly rare
This is not just a question of bees. There is an 80% collapse in insects. Bird populations are collapsing. This cannot be good for human beings.
I've been raised by my grandparents who lived all their lives in a little village south Romania. I remember seeing, as a child, those red seeds all over the road when the combine harvesters were going to the fields. All adults warned the children not to play with those seeds. People used to leave their ducks and geese on the road, so they could go freely to the pond, and when the harvesting of corn would start, many birds died by poisoning with those seeds. After a while, I think they stopped using that insecticide, but nowadays they still use all kinds of chemicals and it shows in the ecosystem.
It is badass of DW to publish this. Thanks.
DW Documentary . So many relevant doc's from you guys. should be mandatory for everyone to watch this channel . Great work !
DW documentaries are more of a sermon to me. I simply "watch and pray..."Thank you so much.
Growing up in a rural area I watched the crayfish, turtles, rabbits, and insects disappear all in an 18 year timeline. As one path towards a better future there is an excellent book by Mark Shepard called Restorative Agriculture, it shows you a different path through the woods. Please read it...
So freakin disturbing. Last summer I still saw so many yellow fields. Thank you DW, these major crimes need awareness.
I live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I have 4 large lilacs, a Mayday tree and a Contoneaster Bush. I have not seen a single bee this spring. 20 years ago the flowers on these plants were covered in bees.
This eye opening investigative documentary needs more views to raise more awareness
When i was a small child growing up on a farm. I climbed up into the spreader and was playing in the "red" corn. My Father freaked out. Hosed me down with water. Told me to change my clothes and bathe.
I think breaking the law and concealing facts is a corporate normal, rather than isolated events. These poisoners need to be stopped, and held accountable.
Now the briefings of this documentary should be published in newspapers and they should be shown in academic institutions to create awareness!!
The most horrifying thing about what companies like Bayer do is that the people who work there and those who are the managers and shareholders of these companies don’t care about the environment, in fact, life on Earth, which their products are threatening. How do we stop this?
I am from Portugal, born in 1976. I always lived in this rural area in the Sorraia river valley, one of the most fertile lands in all country. I remember when i was a child the most of the cultures was made handly and allmost no chimecals were used, every kind of culture was highly profitable. In thous days there were a huge number of birds and insects that desapeared in a couple of decades. Like 20% to 30% of the population around had bees and honey was for free ( people used to give honey to people that had no bees). Then in 1986 Portugal went to EEC ( European comunity) and pesticides started to be used all around. Bees had totally desapeared ever since, many species of birds and insects too. The variety of cultures also desapeared, and big farmers only culture is now only corn and a few rice and tomatoes. I have my own biological farm but is hard to grow fruits and veggies because there are allmost no insects to pollinate the flowers. The damage done cannot be deleted, it Will last Forever. Is time for everybody to open their eyes and close every chemical factory. Life in our planet can't wait any longer.
Vandana Shiva has been saying that insecticides from Bayer are awful for the environment. Finally someone else is saying it -- thank you DW!
DW has the best documentaries and quite informative from different parts of the World on what's really happening! Great work and keep up!
I was born with a severe bee sting allergy and used to actually fear bees in swarms but I haven't seen a swarm of bees in over 10 years.
It breaks my heart so much how a person can love money so much and be so evil to the extent of denying the truth and destroying the environment knowingly. 😢 😢 😢 💔