Opinion: Raising awareness is first step to improving plight of bees

A Feb. 21 article in the State Journal by Marion Ceraso from the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism highlighted criticism of the state’s pollinator plan for not doing enough to help Wisconsin’s bees.

For the last year, my research group in UW-Madison’s Department of Entomology has been working with the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to develop the plan.

The story grossly mischaracterized the process of how the plan was created, suggesting it was somehow undermined by agrochemical interests. The agrochemical industry groups cited in the article represented just two of 30 groups invited to the public stakeholder meetings.