Monsanto/Bayer Pays $3.2M for Pollinator Poisoning

NEW YORK – Bayer CropScience and Monsanto are shelling out $3.2 million, but it’s not for victims of their allegedly toxic weedkiller – it’s a settlement designed to greenwash their image after years of facing accusations that Roundup® is a killer of bees, butterflies, and other essential pollinators. New York Attorney General Letitia James and The New York Community Trust (The Trust) announced today the disbursement of these funds to 34 organizations across the state, a pathetic attempt to offset the damage done to the ecosystem.

The money comes from a 2023 settlement stemming from accusations that Bayer and Monsanto misled the public about the safety of Roundup, a widely used herbicide. While the companies avoided full accountability for potential harm to humans, they’re now being forced to address the ecological fallout. The Trust chipped in an additional $573,000, turning this into a $3.77 million attempt at ecological repair. Let’s be clear: this isn’t charity, it’s damage control.

Pollinators – bees, butterflies, moths, and other creatures – are the backbone of our food supply, responsible for fertilizing a third of the crops we rely on. But according to a 2022 Empire State Native Pollinator Survey, up to 60% of New York’s native pollinator species are facing extinction, and the impact of pesticides like Roundup is a major driver. This settlement is a band-aid on a gaping wound, a drop in the bucket compared to the systemic damage caused by these agrochemical giants.

The grants range in size, from $50,000 “Type One” awards for small nonprofits like the Greater Irvington Land Conservancy Foundation, to $300,000 “Type Two” grants for mid-sized organizations like the Friends of Rogers Environmental Education Center. Larger entities, including the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Brentwood, will receive matching grants up to $100,000. The projects themselves are a mix of habitat restoration, public education, and “community science” – essentially, asking citizens to pick up the slack for government and corporate negligence.

“Pollinators are the unsung heroes of our environment,” Attorney General James stated, offering a platitude that rings hollow considering the years of alleged cover-ups. Arturo Garcia-Costas of The Trust added that “one in every three bites of our food depends on…pollination.” Conveniently left unsaid is *why* those pollinators are in trouble in the first place. This isn’t about saving the bees; it’s about saving the reputations of Bayer and Monsanto.

While the funding is undoubtedly a positive step, it doesn’t address the root of the problem: the continued use of harmful pesticides and the destruction of natural habitats. Until Bayer and Monsanto are held fully accountable for their actions, and until stricter regulations are put in place to protect pollinators, these grants will only provide temporary relief. The real crime isn’t just the ecological damage, it’s the calculated deception that allowed it to happen in the first place.