Kathy Eichlin News Today

In light of recent concerns about the amount of foreign-owned agricultural land in North Carolina, it is worth noting the risk extends beyond mere land: Syngenta Seeds, LLC, one of

In light of recent concerns about the amount of foreign-owned agricultural land in North Carolina, it is worth noting the risk extends beyond mere land: Syngenta Seeds, LLC, one of the world's largest developers and producers of seeds for farmers and based in Greensboro, was bought in 2017 by ChemChina as part of a merger.

The three neonicotinoids — thiamethoxam, clothianidin, and imidacloprid — are applied as seed coatings on some 150 million acres of crops yearly, including corn and soybeans. Neonicotinoids are a group of neurotoxic insecticides used widely on farms and in urban landscapes. Plants absorb them and can be present in pollen and nectar, and have been blamed for killing bees or changing their behaviors.