Why We Support the Seed We Need Colorado Campaign
It’s Time to Stop Default Neonic Coatings and Protect Pollinators, Soil, Water, and People
At Finding Nectar, our mission is to grow healthy plants that support pollinators, not harm them. In order to do that, we care about the decisions that happen long before a seed becomes a flower in someone’s garden. That is why we strongly support the Seed We Need Colorado campaign and the legislative efforts underway to make neonic-treated seeds a need-based choice, not a default standard.
Neonicotinoid insecticides, commonly called neonics, have become the most widely used class of pesticides in the world. These toxic chemicals are often applied as coatings on seed before planting — even when there is no real pest problem and no evidence that they provide any meaningful benefit to farmers or the environment.
💧 Neonics Are Everywhere and They Cause Real Harm
Neonics do not stay neatly on the seed or in the plant being grown. They travel into the soil, water, air, and food system. In Colorado, testing has shown neonics in rivers and groundwater at levels up to 100 times higher than thresholds known to harm aquatic life.
Because they are systemic — meaning the chemical is absorbed into the plant and moves through its roots, leaves, nectar, and pollen — load after load of neonics in the environment can:
• Kill or weaken beneficial insects like bees and predatory beetles
• Reduce soil biodiversity and harm soil organisms essential for healthy crops
• Pollute waterways and threaten aquatic life
• Pose potential health risks to humans, including neurological and developmental impacts with early life exposure
Many studies have shown that the economic return of neonic seed coatings is minimal or nonexistent for major crops like corn — yet the chemicals remain the default option.
🐝 Colorado Farmers Are Not Always Getting a Choice
Right now in Colorado and much of the United States, seed companies automatically apply neonic coatings to crop seeds, and farmers often have no opportunity to choose untreated seed. Even if a farmer does not want or need the treatment, the seed they buy comes with it built in.
The Seed We Need Colorado campaign stands for transparency, accountability, and choice in our seed supply. Farmers should be able to buy seed that is not treated with toxic chemicals unless there is a clear, demonstrated need for a specific pest problem.
This approach, called a need-based use program, has already shown success in other places. In the Canadian province of Québec, a need-based system has reduced neonic treated corn seeds from near universal to almost zero in just a few years, while protecting yields and reducing contamination of water and soil.
🗳️ What the Proposed Bill Would Do
Legislation being considered in the Colorado General Assembly, SB26 065, often referred to as the SEED Act (Strengthening Economic and Environmental Decisions Act), would require that crop seeds coated with systemic insecticides only be sold when an approved third party verifier has confirmed that the treatment is truly necessary for a specific pest situation.
The goal of SB26 065 is not to ban neonicotinoids outright, but to stop their use as a default. Instead, it creates a need based system where treated seeds are used intentionally, transparently, and only when there is clear evidence they are required.
This approach puts decision making back in the hands of farmers while reducing unnecessary chemical loading into soil and waterways.
🌱 What This Bill Does and Does Not Cover
It is important to clarify what SB26 065 addresses.
This bill focuses specifically on agricultural seed coatings and does not regulate nursery plants, home gardening products, or retail ornamental plant sales. Gardeners and home landscapes are not the target of this legislation.
However, agricultural use represents the largest and most widespread source of neonicotinoids in the environment. Because these chemicals move through soil and water, their impacts extend far beyond the fields where they are planted, affecting pollinators, aquatic life, and surrounding ecosystems.
By addressing the largest source first, SB26 065 aims to reduce broad environmental exposure while preserving flexibility for farmers who truly need treated seed in specific circumstances.
🌿 Why This Still Matters for Pollinators and Communities
Even though SB26 065 does not address nursery or garden use, it plays a critical role in protecting pollinators statewide. Reducing unnecessary agricultural use lowers the overall chemical background pollinators are exposed to as they move across landscapes, waterways, and seasons.
This bill represents a practical, science based step toward healthier ecosystems while maintaining productive agriculture.
🌱 Why This Matters for Pollinators and Everyone Else
We support Seed We Need Colorado because:
🔹 It protects native bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects crucial for our ecosystems and farms
🔹 It helps prevent neonic contamination of water, soil, and food supplies
🔹 It supports farmers by enabling them to choose safer seed options based on need
🔹 It brings transparency and accountability to seed treatment practices
🔹 It aligns Colorado with other states and regions that are reducing unnecessary neonic use
Remember that pollinators do not just benefit gardens and flowers — they are essential for many crops we rely on for food. Loss of pollinator health means loss of ecosystem services that are hard to replace.
🌿 True Pollinator Support Begins With Smart Agricultural Policy
There are many ways to help pollinators — planting native gardens, reducing pesticide use in our yards, and choosing neonic-free plants at nurseries like Finding Nectar. But if we do not address the root causes of pollution and systemic pesticide use, we will continue to fight symptoms rather than causes.
This campaign is about building a healthier Colorado for people, farms, water, soil, and pollinators alike. It is about giving farmers real choices and protecting ecosystems that all of us depend on.
We support Seed We Need Colorado because good policy, backed by good science, leads to stronger communities and healthier landscapes.
Learn More here: https://seedweneedcolorado.org/