Bayer Shareholders Vote for the Bees

Last week, I wrote about a new story in which hundreds of thousands of people joined together to convince the European Union and Bayer that using pesticides that are lethal to bees is a disastrous idea.

SumOfUs, one of the organizations that was fighting on behalf of the bees attended the shareholders’ Annual General Meeting in Bonn, Germany.  They made sure that they got their message out, trending on Twitter, in the press and then at the shareholders’ meeting.  Their message is that “Bayer’s profits come with a hefty price tag – the massive global die-off of our bees.”

SumOfUs sponsored beekeepers to attend the meeting to speak directly to Bayer’s shareholders.  You can see some of the action here, including the mock funeral for the “last bee.”

SumOfUs presented a counter motion against Bayer’s board of directors and it was supported by 5000 investors.  They listened as key investors raised concerns about the effects of the neonic pesticides.

The SumOfUs members and beekeepers who attended the AGM felt empowered because they knew that hundreds of thousands of people all around the world stood behind them in support.

So, to summarize what SumOfUs has accomplished with the support of people all around the world;

• ·        in 2013 the EU made a partial ban on neonics,
• ·        France passed a full ban in 2016,
• ·        this year, the EU made a full ban on three neonic pesticides and
• ·        just three weeks ago, the European Court of Justice dismissed Bayer and Syngenta’s lawsuit against the EU’s measures to protect the bees.

Now that’s a good story!