Step up to help save the bees

Dear CEO Brian Cornell,

I urge Target to help protect bees, butterflies, and other pollinators by strengthening its pollinator health policy and taking clear, measurable action on pollinator-toxic pesticides in its supply chain. Bees and other pollinators are a cornerstone of Target’s food supply. One of three bites of food we eat depends on pollinators, but they are in great peril. At current rates, forty percent of insect pollinators face extinction. Scientists around the world are warning that we are in the midst of an “insect apocalypse,” due in part to the overuse of toxic pesticides.

Target is falling behind competitors in pollinator protection. Target fell to 15th place on the 2023 Bee-Friendly Retailer Scorecard. Meanwhile, other companies are stepping up and taking action. Giant Eagle is eliminating the most pollinator-toxic neonicotinoids from its produce supply chain by 2025. And Giant Eagle, Walmart, Whole Foods, and Kroger are requiring that all fresh produce suppliers adopt ecological farming methods called integrated pest management (IPM), as verified by a vetted list of third-party certifications. While these are important steps in the right direction, given the role that pesticides play in the health and environmental crises we’re facing, we need to go further.

In order to protect pollinators, Target must address the use of pesticides that are driving pollinator declines by setting clear, time-bound targets towards eliminating the use of toxic pesticides in its supply chains as well as taking meaningful action to transition toward organic and other ecological farming methods.

To protect pollinators, people, and the planet, I urge Target to:

• Phase Out Toxic Pesticides: Establish a pollinator health policy that includes targets for phasing out and eliminating neonicotinoids, glyphosate, organophosphates, and other pollinator-toxic pesticides, as well as implementation of alternative, least-toxic pest management strategies in company supply chains.
• Grow Organic: Increase USDA-certified organic food and beverages to at least 15 percent of overall offerings, prioritizing sourcing from domestic growers.
• Increase Transparency: Publicly disclose company policies and progress related to these actions.

As one of the largest grocery retailers in the U.S., it’s important that Target show leadership in making its food supply safer for farmers, farmworkers, consumers, and pollinators.