Is you popcorn killing bees?

Sign the Petition to Brian J. Driscoll, President and CEO, Diamond Foods and Mike Weaver, President and CEO, Weaver Popcorn Company

It's no secret we love popcorn. In fact, Americans consume more than 16 billion quarts of popcorn each year. But we're getting more than we bargained for in all those bowls of popcorn: bee-toxic pesticides.

You know that bees are dying at alarming rates, and that scientists have identified a group of insecticides called neonicotinoids ("neonics") as a prime culprit in these drastic population losses. The largest single use of neonicotinoids is as a seed coating for field crops. In fact, researchers estimate that 95-99% of all field corn grown in the U.S. comes from seed coated with bee-toxic neonic chemicals.

Unfortunately, the popcorn industry uses bee-killing chemicals on their seeds, too. That's why we're calling on Pop Secret and Pop Weaver, two of the biggest brands in the industry, to urge them to source their popcorn from seeds that are NOT coated in these harmful chemicals.

Neonics are the most widely used insecticides in the world, and are a class of systemic chemicals, meaning they are dispersed throughout the treated plant, rendering the whole plant toxic. Just as alarming, neonics can last in the environment for years and they can harm species that the chemical was not designed to kill - like bees, butterflies, birds, and entire food chains.

Pop Secret and Pop Weaver are serving us popcorn grown from these neonic-coated seeds. That's why we've launched a new website (www.pollinatorsandyourplate.org) and an animated video exposing the dangers of neonic seed coatings and calling on Pop Secret and Pop Weaver to take action. As two of the largest popcorn brands in the U.S., they can make a big difference for bees by phasing out their use of neonic-coated seeds.

Sign the Petition: Tell Pop Secret & Pop Weaver to Stop Killing Bees!

Although it is currently difficult to obtain uncoated seeds in the U.S. --growers in Canada requested and received uncoated seed, proving that is possible to diversify the seed supply with neonic-free seed options when consumers, companies, and growers demand it.

Given the countless risks, lack of benefits, and widespread consumer demand for pollinator protection, it's time for Pop Secret and Pop Weaver to commit to phasing out the use of neonic-coated seeds for their popcorn.

Tell Pop Secret and Pop Weaver to drop bee-toxic chemicals!