Honeybees in southern Germany are subjected to lower levels of pesticides, environmental experts in Bavaria have confirmed.
Honey analyses indicate that the application of so-called neonicotinoids and glyphosate, a contested herbicide, has decreased in recent years, according to Andreas Schierling from the Bavarian Animal Health Service.
Schierling, who did not provide detailed data, addressed Bavarian beekeepers at a summit in the town of Nittenau, the Mittelbayerische Zeitung newspaper reports.
Earlier this week, the European Commission confirmed that the application of glyphosate would remain legal within the EU-27. This announcement has caused a stir as the body had previously failed to find sufficient support among member states for the contested measure.
Environmentalists all over Europe have harshly criticised lawmakers for refusing to ban the chemical agent which reportedly eradicates all but genetically modified plants.
German non-government organisation BUND warns: “Glyphosate is a potentially cancer-causing substance, according to the WHO (World Health Organization). It spurs the extinction of species.”
Around 33,000 of the 138,000 registered leisure-time beekeepers of Germany are based in Bavaria.
The average per capita consumption of honey in Germany was 935 grammes last year according to figures provided by the country’s agriculture ministry.
