跨国农药公司竞相展示蜜蜂保护计划

欧盟在本月早些时候发布了两年内禁止使用三种新烟碱类种子处理农药的指令，如果美国也采取类似措施，这将导致跨国农药生产企业数百万美元的销售损失。为了向政策制定者们展示其有意采取必要步骤保护蜜蜂的良好愿望，大型农药生产企业纷纷采取各种行动，如孟山都召开了“蜜蜂峰会”、拜耳成立了“蜜蜂服务中心”、先正达筹集蜜蜂研究基金等。

根据政府报告，蜜蜂为美国生产大约全国25%食品的作物进行授粉，包括苹果、杏仁、西瓜及豆类。过去几年蜜蜂死亡速率加快，美国政府称这种情况将很快使蜜蜂的种群数量难以为继。

科学家、消费者、养蜂人认为这种毁灭性的结果是农化公司大量出售提高作物产量的农药造成的。而孟山都，拜耳等大型跨国农化公司则声称他们的农药产品没有问题，导致蜜蜂数量减少的原因可能是恶性螨虫。

然而环境学家认为，更多证据指向了玉米种子的包衣，而非螨虫。近年来，美国玉米种子供应商越来越多地提供用新烟碱杀虫剂预处理的玉米种子，使玉米作物能在声场过程中抵御有害生物。

针对该领域的研究正在加紧进行，预计相关研究结果将会提供有价值的信息。

The European Union announced earlier this month it would ban the class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids, or "neonics," used for corn and other crops as well as on home lawns and gardens. The ban is in place for two years.

Similar constraints in the United States could cost manufacturers millions of dollars in sales.

As a result, Monsanto is hosting a "Bee Summit." Bayer AG is breaking ground on a "Bee Care Centre." And Sygenta AG is funding grants for research into the accelerating demise of honeybees in the United States.

Die-offs of bee populations have accelerated over the last few years to a rate the American government calls unsustainable. Honeybees pollinate plants that produce roughly 25% of the foods Americans consume, including apples, almonds, watermelons and beans, according to government reports.

Scientists, consumer groups, beekeepers and others blame the devastating rate of bee deaths on the growing use of pesticides sold by agrichemical companies to boost yields of staple crops such as corn. Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer and other agrichemical companies say other factors such as mites are killing the bees.

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