Co-op says No to bee-killing pesticides

Guardian Environment [reports](http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jan/28/bees-coop-pesticide): One of the big UK supermarket chains, [Co-op](http://www.co-operative.coop/), has announced in its 10-point [Plan Bee](http://www.co-operative.coop/ethicsinaction/takeaction/planbee/what-The-Co-operative-is-doing-for-bees/) that it will ban the use of 8 neonicotinoid-based pesticides on own-brand fresh products. The pesticides banned are: Acetamiprid (啶虫脒), Clothianidin (噻虫胺或可尼丁), Dinotefuran (呋虫胺或丁诺特呋喃), Fipronil (氟虫腈), Imidacloprid (吡虫啉), Nitenpyram (烯啶虫胺), Thiacloprid (噻虫啉) and Thiamethoxam (噻虫嗪或阿克泰).

It is worthy pointing out that neonicotinoid-based pesticides are considered an ideal replacement of high-toxicity pesticides and are widely used in China and many developing countries, although its harm to beehives have been noticed in China as well. It is not clear now what measures China has taken to prevent or mitigate the impact of these pesticides on its bee populations.