| SUBSCRIBE | BECOME A MEMBER | JOBS

Why HEAL supports the European Citizens’ Initiative “Save Bees and Farmers”

HEAL is a supporting organisation of the European Citizens’ Initiative “Save Bees and Farmers”, that launched in November 2019 with a vision of a pesticide-free Europe. The petition asks the European Commission and EU Parliament to reform the current EU agricultural policy to better protect health, save bees and support farmers to transition.

The use of synthetic pesticides and the consequences are clear: bees, butterflies and other insects are vanishing from our landscapes, Europe’s streams and rivers are being polluted and farmers, communities and consumers alike are being exposed to a daily cocktail of chemicals. Some of these chemicals are known or suspected to cause cancer or seriously disrupt our hormone system, and the most vulnerable in our society are affected most.

The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) initiative aims to create an agricultural landscape in Europe which enables bees and farmers to thrive in a healthy environment for the benefit of all. Together the goal is to collect at least one million signatures to save bees and farmers in Europe.

HEAL, along with a broad alliance of civil society organisations, grassroots movements, beekeepers organisations, local citizens’ initiatives, farming groups and environmental scientists, asks for EU legislative measures to:

  • Completely phase-out pesticides by 2035, tackling the most hazardous substances within two years and achieving 80% by 2030
  • Restore biodiversity, particularly natural habitats in agricultural areas
  • Support farmers in the transition towards a bee-friendly agriculture by prioritising small scale, diverse and sustainable farming

Take a few minutes to sign the petition, available in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish, and share with your network!

Sign the petition

Find out more about the initiative

Download materials to help spread the word

Related Posts

Chlorpyrifos-methyl: unpacking the history behind the EU ban and court case
On 4 October 2023, the European Court of Justice ruled that the 2019 EU-wide ban of the health-harming pesticide chlorpyrifos-methyl remains in force. This blog revisits the long road that led to the decision to ban the substance from the European market in 2019, delves into the related health stakes, and explores the legal challenge that followed the ban. 
Celebrating 20 years of HEAL
Twenty years ago, I realised that environmental pollution is linked to ill health and serious acute and chronic diseases, like cancer, asthma and respiratory diseases. This is when I launched into my environmental health journey and founded HEAL. It became clear to me that our ways of living and the environmental pollution resulting from that impacted our health. I wanted to know more about the impacts and the extent, how much of it was preventable, and what role and power policy-making could have in it....
Back To Top