Pollinator Update

The Society of American Florists

The controversy about chemicals and pollinators continues.

In September, a federal appeals court blocked the use in the U.S. of a newer neonicotinoid, marketed as “Transform” and “Closer.” EPA had approved the chemical in May 2013 for use on a wide variety of crops. EPA noted in its announcement that pollinator health was one area of focus during review of the product and pointed out that the product label includes “robust terms for protecting pollinators.” Scientists from EPA Canada and Australia were involved in the review process.

The precedent set by the court’s ruling, if it’s allowed to stand, will be troubling for all of agriculture. EPA is currently reviewing the legal opinion to determine next steps. However, Earthjustice, the plaintiff in the case, expressed the hope that the court’s findings “will encourage EPA to re-examine its other registrations of neonicotinoid pesticides.”

SAF and AmericanHort have been at the forefront of the neonic issue since the beginning of the pollinator health controversy, working with the green industry, as well as with the academic community, regulators, other user groups and manufacturers. The issue is complex because agriculture’s use of neonicotinoids is accused, often with inadequate or even no scientific evidence, of harming not only honeybees, but also native pollinators. More science is needed on the real effects, particularly as related to floriculture and nursery products.

In July, SAF and AmericanHort launched a new, fully interactive website, www.growwise.org, to help guide industry members in pollinator stewardship. Information is available to any industry member who wants to show how the plants and flowers grown by our industry contribute to bee and pollinator health.

The horticulture industry’s effort is spearheaded by the Bee and Pollinator Stewardship Initiative. Launched in 2014 as a joint effort of SAF, AmericanHort, the American Floral Endowment and the Horticultural Research Institute, the Initiative funnels industry dollars to help support research on pollinator health and to develop best management practices for growers. It will be key in helping to counter the claims that horticulture’s growing practices and use of neonics puts bees and other pollinators at risk.

In addition, the website links to the “Million Pollinator Garden Challenge,” which encourages all individuals, businesses and organizations to join in planting pollinator gardens nationwide.

A new EPA Pollinator Proposal
In late August, SAF joined AmericanHort and the Northwest Nursery Improvement Institute in providing formal comments to EPA on its “Proposal to Mitigate the Exposure to Bees from Acutely Toxic Pesticide Products.” That proposal would prohibit the use of 76 active ingredients (approximately 3,600 products) from use by a grower when the grower is under pollination contract services. Because nursery and greenhouse growers do not directly use pollination services, the proposal would not likely impact them directly, although nurseries in the vicinity of other crops could be affected. However, SAF and AmericanHort commented because of the precedents and regulatory tone set by the proposal.

The comments noted support for the EPA concept of enhanced communication between beekeepers and growers under the voluntary Managed Pollinator Protection Plans, with some specific caveats. However, the comments also stated that in the overall proposal, “the EPA has broken from its historic norms of sound scientific practices . . . and absent new, actionable data, decisions on how to move forward should not be made.”

The comments concluded by pointing out that overwintering honeybee colony losses have declined two years in a row (2015 Bee Informed Partnership report) and that the numbers of managed honeybee colonies is at a 20-year high (2015 NASS Honey Report), and pledged to continue our industry’s efforts to engage with the broader agricultural community to find solutions.

Finally, despite the ongoing public and social media controversy about bee and pollinator survival, a recent beekeepers’ journal article says it is beekeepers, not bees, which are in trouble. Published in Bee Culture, the study quotes Tim Tucker, president of the American Beekeeping Federation, as saying “It’s not the bees that are in jeopardy ... I believe we’ll always have bees ... [But] unless things change, what’s in jeopardy is the commercial beekeeping industry.” The study goes on to note that the “major driver of these challenges is the near-global spread of parasites like the Varroa mite” along with other diseases.

EPA is working with USDA, and with the beekeeping, agriculture and chemical industries, as well as with the state departments of agriculture, to try to find a workable solution to the ongoing controversy over neonicotinoid use. SAF and AmericanHort will continue to work to try to ensure that these important chemistries can continue to be used safely by horticulture growers.

EPA Updates Standards to Increase Safety and Protect the Health of America’s Farmworkers
The Obama Administration released final pesticide safety rules that officials say will provide farmworkers, including workers in the floral industry, more protection from exposure to agricultural chemicals.

The new rules, the first changes to the EPA Worker Protection Standards (WPS) that have been made in 20 years, require employers to provide annual training for workers and others who handle pesticides, keep training records for two years and provide protective equipment that meets certain standards. The rules also require employers to maintain and make available information on pesticide safety to workers and handlers.

The package of rules, which will be published in the Federal Register within 60 days, also spells out the amount of time that must pass before employees can enter areas, such as greenhouses and fields, that have been treated, as well as the types of signage that must be displayed.

SAF, AmericanHort, the California Cut Flower Commission (CCFC) and the National Christmas Tree Association worked together last year to gather information on the impact of the revised regulations on growers and submitted comments to EPA.

SAF has a long history of advocacy on this issue. Leading up to the standards’ release and publication in 1992, SAF joined with other floral industry organizations to help ensure the standards were practical and feasible for floral industry growers.

California Florist Steps Into White House Role
Just in time for a high-profile state dinner in mid-September in Washington, the White House appointed a new head florist.

Roshan Ghaffarian, of Los Gatos, California, was “on hand” September 25 when President Obama and the First Lady hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping. Roshan, who has worked as a florist and event designer for more than 25 years, took on the post full time in October after she moved to Washington.

Born in Tehran, Iran, Roshan was raised in Los Altos after immigrating with her family as a child following the 1979 Iranian revolution. In her 20s, she started her business, Flower Affairs, in her parents' garage.

“Roshan’s life story is a powerful reminder that the American Dream endures and the President and I look forward to seeing her creativity flourish for White House guests to enjoy year-round,” Michelle Obama said in a statement.

The position has been vacant since mid-February, when Laura Dowling, who held the job since 2009, left the post amid speculation that her design style clashed with the First Lady’s aesthetic. GT

“SAF in the Lobby” is produced by the Society of American Florists, 1601 Duke Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; Tel: (703) 836-8700 or (800) 336-4743; Fax: (703) 836-8705; or visit the SAF Web site: www.safnow.org. For more information on legislative issues, contact the Government Relations Department.