Dear John,
Glyphosate -- a.k.a. Monsanto’s Roundup® -- is driving the decline of monarch butterflies. These iconic pollinators are now at risk of extinction.
Supermarkets like Kroger -- the largest traditional grocery retailer in the U.S. -- could help save monarchs by cutting Roundup® and other toxic pesticides out of their supply chains. This simple step would help get these pesticides out of our food system and off our plates.
Kroger has taken some initial steps to reduce pesticides in the products it sells. But Kroger’s commitment doesn’t go far enough. So we need your help, John, to demand that Kroger do more to protect monarch butterflies.
Swarm Kroger’s email: Demand that it do more to protect monarch butterflies from Monsanto’s Roundup®.
Monarchs aren’t the only pollinators in trouble. Bees are dying at alarming rates. 75% of farmland bird species are in decline. And pesticides like Roundup®, neonicotinoids and chlorpyrifos are a key contributor to the problem.
What’s more, these pesticides are harming our health and putting kids at risk. Monsanto is facing lawsuits from more than 18,000 people because they believe their exposure to RoundUp® caused their cancer. Of the four cases considered so far, a jury found Roundup® to be a major factor in all of them. Monsanto has already been forced to pay more than $2 billion in damages.
But thanks in part to Kroger, this pesticide is ending up on our plates. Recent independent lab testing found that Kroger’s store-brand foods including apple sauce, spinach, cereal and beans contain pesticides, like neonicotinoids, glyphosate (Roundup®) and organophosphates.
Even in trace amounts, these pesticides have been linked to reduced IQ, attention deficit disorders, autism, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and cancer. They have no place in the food on Kroger’s shelves.
Help protect bees, butterflies and songbirds: Tell Kroger to stop selling food grown with toxic pesticides NOW!
Costco, one of the largest food retailers in the U.S., has already asked its suppliers to phase out neonicotinoids and chlorpyrifos from its fruit, vegetables and garden plants globally. Now Kroger needs to step up.
As the largest traditional grocery store in the U.S., Kroger has the power to change our toxic food system. But it’s dragging its feet.
Now Kroger must go farther -- it needs to phase out all bee-killing, cancer-causing and brain-damaging pesticides in its supply chain and increase its offerings of bee and people-friendly organic food. The company has shown it will change when faced with pressure from its customers. Together, we can convince Kroger to get these toxic pesticides out of the food it sells.
Take action now: Demand Kroger make a firm commitment to stop selling food grown with toxic pesticides.
Standing with you,
Jason Davidson,
Food and agriculture campaign associate,
Friends of the Earth
