Bayer & Monsanto Pay $3.2M for Poisoning Bees

NEW YORK – Bayer CropScience and Monsanto are shelling out $3.2 million, but it’s not a conviction in criminal court. It’s a settlement, and the payout is going towards fixing the damage *they* caused. New York Attorney General Letitia James and The New York Community Trust announced today that 34 organizations statewide will receive funding from the settlement, a consequence of the companies misleading the public about the safety of their Roundup® weedkiller. That stuff isn’t just killing weeds; it’s been linked to the decline of vital pollinator species like bees and butterflies.

The Attorney General’s office says Bayer and Monsanto knowingly downplayed the risks of Roundup, which contains chemicals toxic to pollinators. The $3.2 million, bolstered by an additional $573,000 from The New York Community Trust, will now be funneled into the New York Pollinator Conservation Fund. This isn’t charity; it’s a forced reckoning. Pollinators are the backbone of our food supply, responsible for fertilizing the fruits, vegetables, and crops we rely on. Mess with them, and you mess with everything.

“Pollinators are the unsung heroes of our environment, yet their very existence has been threatened by the harmful impacts of pesticides, habitat destruction, and climate change,” James stated. Translation: these corporations prioritized profit over the health of the environment. The grants will be used for land restoration, education, and community projects aimed at boosting pollinator populations. It’s a start, but it doesn’t undo the damage already done.

The grants are tiered, ranging from $50,000 for smaller groups like the Greater Irvington Land Conservancy Foundation, to up to $300,000 for mid-sized nonprofits such as the Friends of Rogers Environmental Education Center. Larger organizations, including the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Brentwood, can receive matching grants of up to $100,000. The Trust handled the competitive application process, ensuring the money goes to groups with viable conservation plans. The beneficiaries aren’t just environmental groups; they include community land trusts, urban coalitions, and even Indigenous communities.

According to a 2022 Empire State Native Pollinator Survey, anywhere from 40 to 60 percent of New York’s native pollinator species are at risk of disappearing. That’s a grim statistic, and a direct threat to the state’s agricultural future. The projects funded by this settlement aim to reverse that trend, restoring habitats and raising awareness about the importance of these critical creatures. Arturo Garcia-Costas of The Trust put it plainly: “One in every three bites of our food depends on wild and domesticated pollination.”

This isn’t just about saving bees and butterflies. It’s about holding powerful corporations accountable for the environmental damage they inflict. While $3.2 million is a drop in the bucket compared to Bayer and Monsanto’s profits, it sends a message: poisoning the environment has consequences. It remains to be seen if this settlement will truly make a difference, but it’s a step in the right direction – a step forced upon these companies by a concerned Attorney General and a determined public.