(Photo by zefe wu via Pixabay)

In 2017, EcoNetworks provided support for the Japanese translation of a report entitled The Environmental Risks of Neonicotinoid Pesticides. Seven years have passed since then, but there has been little improvement in the situation surrounding neonicotinoids in Japan. Once again, we would like to deepen our understanding of neonicotinoids and explore avenues through which we can move forward.

What are neonicotinoids?

There are seven compounds known as neonicotinoids: acetamiprid, imidacloprid, clothianidin, dinotefuran, thiacloprid, thiamethoxam, and nitenpyram. They are highly systemic — meaning that they are taken up through the roots or leaves of a plant to make it entirely insecticidal. This allows crops to be protected from pests for an extended period, but they cannot be removed from the plant by washing.

Silent Spring 2.0 conference

In May 2024, the Silent Spring 2.0 conference was held in Chicago, USA. At this conference, researchers discussed the potential adverse impacts of neonicotinoids on human health, wildlife, groundwater, and surface water. Recent animal studies have indicated that the current safety standards set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for some neonicotinoids may be as much as 160 times higher than a level that would adequately protect people. In addition, there was a lot of emerging evidence presented at the conference that neonicotinoids are impacting reproductive health, have neurotoxic properties, and could potentially impact children’s brain development.

The world is eyeing stricter regulations, but Japan is steering towards deregulation

People tend to believe that Japanese food is safe and reliable; however, many pesticide regulations in Japan, including those for neonicotinoids, are more lenient than those in other countries (in Japanese). As a result, crops produced under domestic standards often fail to meet the standards of export destinations (in Japanese). Neonicotinoids may already be significantly impacting our lives, affecting ecosystems, children’s development, and fertility, among other areas. I believe that we must take a stronger interest in this issue and call for a reduction in the use of neonicotinoids. Waiting until the damaging effects have been fully proven may be too late.

Mobilizing the power of people and organizations

Neonicotinoids are used in very familiar settings. Household products include insecticides for cockroaches and fruit flies, flea treatments for pets, and gardening pesticides.

They are also widely used to control stink bugs in the cultivation of rice, a staple crop in Japan. This is because when stink bugs feed on rice, they create black spots on the grains, which lowers the grade of the rice. The pesticides sprayed in rice fields flow into rivers and eventually into the ocean. The black spots do not affect taste or safety, so ending the use of pesticides seems reasonable in this regard. The positive impact on both people and the natural environment from ending their use will likely be quite significant.

In fact, JA Sado (Sado Agricultural Cooperative) stopped selling neonicotinoid insecticides for rice cultivation in 2015 and has been selling only rice that is free of neonicotinoids since 2018. The release of the Japanese crested ibis, which began in 2008, heightened the public’s interest and spurred the JA into action for promoting neonicotinoid-free rice, leading to a rapid chain of developments involving the entire community.

If people make themselves heard and companies work toward eliminating neonicotinoids, it could lead to major changes benefiting the environment and society.

(Author: Yasuko Sato, Translation: Alex Koolhof)

Reference: Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO), GIAHS around the world, Sado’s Satoyama in Harmony with Japanese Crested Ibis, Japan