Untreated seed is nearly impossible for farmers to buy, forcing neonicotinoid use

Row crop farmers who want to protect pollinators by planting untreated seed often cannot find it. Over 90% of corn seed and 40-50% of soybean seed sold in the US comes pre-coated with neonicotinoid insecticides (clothianidin, thiamethoxam, imidacloprid). Seed dealers rarely stock untreated alternatives, and farmers who request them face 2-4 week ordering delays, limited variety selection, and sometimes higher prices. A corn farmer in Iowa who wants to plant untreated seed for their 500 acres adjacent to a neighbor's apiary may have to commit to the order months in advance, accept a less productive hybrid, and pay a premium -- all for a product that agronomic research shows provides little yield benefit in most situations. Meanwhile, only 2-5% of the neonicotinoid coating stays with the seed; the rest enters soil and groundwater, contaminating wildflower pollen and nectar within a 3km radius at levels shown to impair bee foraging, navigation, and reproduction. The problem persists because seed treatment is applied prophylactically as insurance by seed companies (not based on actual pest pressure), and the seed-pesticide supply chain is vertically integrated -- the same companies sell both the seed and the coating.