Biologista Professor Ricardo Hisamoto: Kroger: Stop killing the bees!

quinta-feira, 8 de junho de 2017

Kroger: Stop killing the bees!

It's official: Walmart has agreed to stop selling bee-killing pesticides. But Kroger, the second-largest grocery chain in the world, is still refusing to take the epidemic of bee deaths seriously.

That's why we're going to deliver this petition to Kroger’s annual shareholder meeting in less than two weeks. Join us and tell Kroger to stop killing the bees.

SIGN THE PETITION

Folks,

Un-bee-lievable news! Walmart has officially decided to stop selling bee-killing pesticides.

Walmart now joins other major global retailers like Home Depot,

Lowe’s, Costco, and B&Q who have promised to keep harmful neonics off their shelves.

But there’s one major holdout that have not shown their love for the bees: Kroger, the second-largest grocery chain in the world.

We already have tens of thousands of SumOfUs members who are standing up to Kroger and demanding the mega-chain land on the right side of history.

We know we can make that number explode before delivering your signatures straight to the Kroger’s annual shareholder meeting on June 22.

Will you raise your voice and tell Kroger to stop killing the bees?

The pressure is getting impossible for major retail chains to ignore. Over 110 global chains swearing off bee-killing neonic pesticides for good. Consumers are beginning to demand that their favourite stores adopt bee-friendly policies. It’s only a matter of time before they all come along—and those that don’t will get left behind.

This isn’t rocket science: without healthy bee populations our crop growth suffers dramatically and without healthy crops we can't feed ourselves. Corporate food retailers have chained themselves to outdated, pesticide-heavy habits because they care more about their own profits than protecting our food systems. We need to show Kroger and other food giants that not only are bee-friendly products possible, they are necessary for our shared survival.

The SumOfUs Community has been on the forefront of getting neonics out of stores. It was because of pressure from over 750,000 bee-loving SumOfUs members like you that we got Home Depot, Lowe’s and True Value to commit to removing neonics from its supply chain. If we ramp up that kind of momentum in advance of its AGM, we can force Kroger to do the right thing.

Tell Kroger to commit to bee-friendly policies now.

Thanks for all that you do,

Angus, Maggie, Fatah, Reem, and the rest of the SumOfUs team

More information:

Walmart and True Value to Phase Out Bee-Killing Pesticides While Ace Hardware Lags Behind, CommonDreams, May 3, 2017
Shareholder Resolution Urges Kroger to Have Independent Board Leadership, Whole Foods Magazine, May 17, 2017

Update May 2017: HUGE WIN! Global retail megachains Walmart and True Value just folded and agreed to stop selling neonics. Kroger, the second biggest grocery store in the world, is one of the last remaining holdouts.

Original petition text:

We are experiencing a bee crisis that's putting one-third of our food supply at risk. And America’s food retailers just aren’t taking the problem seriously.

Kroger grocery stores have so far refused to ban bee-killing neonic pesticides, even though mounting evidence shows that these deadly chemicals are decimating bee, butterfly and other pollinator populations. Other grocery giants from Walmart to Costco are adopting policies to protect the bees -- let's come together and pressure Kroger to do the same.

Join us in calling on Kroger to adopt a bee-friendly produce policy.

It isn’t rocket science: without healthy bee populations, we can’t feed ourselves. Corporate food retailers have chained themselves to outdated, pesticide-heavy habits because they care more about their own profits than protecting our food systems. We need to show Kroger and other food giants that not only are bee-friendly products possible, they are necessary.

Consumer and corporate tastes are changing. In a recent poll, 65 per cent of Americans said they’re more likely to shop at a grocery store that has promised to eliminate neonicotinoids. And consumer demand for organic and pesticide-free food is showing double-digit growth.

This is a fight we can win. It’s a fight we’re winning. Costco, Target and Whole Foods have all committed to sell more bee-friendly organic food and make it more visible. A German grocery chain has banned neonicotinoids from its entire European supply line. Over 750,000 SumOfUs members have spoken out against U.S. hardware stores and the bee-killing pesticides on their shelves -- and after years of pressure, Home Depot and Lowe's recently enacted more bee-friendly policies.

Tell Kroger to come over to the right side of history -- commit to eliminating neonic pesticides now.