Bees Swarm Major Breadmaker’s Events Over Pesticides

by Carolyn Auwaerter

September 29, 2016

The finish line for Bimbo — the parent company of some of the most popular bread brands in the United States — must be a healthy Earth without pesticides.

Activists in Philadelphia participated in Bimbo's Global Energy Race.

Last weekend, bees attended Bimbo’s Global Energy Race to deliver a message to the world’s largest breadmaker: stop using food grown with dangerous pesticides.

Bimbo’s 10k run and 3k walk were corporate events with a message of health. In fact, Fred Penny, president at Bimbo Bakeries USA, said prior to the race, “The pursuit of health and well-being is no longer a trend — it has become a social imperative around the world.”

We couldn’t agree more. That’s why activists in Philadelphia and Long Beach told Bimbo that the real finish line must be a healthy Earth.

We dressed as bees for the race, because bees are responsible for about 80% of pollination worldwide and are being killed by pesticide use. Just in the last year, the United States lost 44% of honey bee colonies — a significant jump from the year before.

Activists in Long Beach, CA participated in Bimbo's Global Energy Race.

Activists in Long Beach, CA participated in Bimbo’s Global Energy Race.

Pesticides are problematic for other reasons too — they end up in our bodies from the food we eat, are particularly dangerous to farm workers and contaminate our land and water.

We need major brands like Bimbo to transition to eco-agriculture so that we can have healthy land, healthy food, and healthy people.

Add your voice to the more than 100,000 people who have asked Bimbo to cut the pesticides from its ingredients and help fix our broken food system.

Carolyn Auwaerter

By Carolyn Auwaerter

Carolyn Auwaerter is a Field Organizing Manager at Greenpeace USA. She works on climate and renewable energy in the southeast and Greenpeace's Food for Life campaign.

We Need Your Voice. Join Us!

Want to learn more about tax-deductible giving, donating stock and estate planning?

Visit Greenpeace Fund, a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) charitable entity created to increase public awareness and understanding of environmental issues through research, the media and educational programs.