In 2011, Monsanto bought out Beelogics, a research organisation which had been looking into the causes of bee decline – a good way to ensure Beeologics research remains directed away from Monsanto’s own activities Best Restaurants in Hong Kong, as well as to bolster the company’s new “bee friendly” facade

Last year, Bayer launched a tour of US university agricultural schools called “Bee Care”, the purpose of the tour, apparently, was to “further understanding of the important role honey bees play in our food supply” Search Engine Optimization.

Bayer has also published a children’s book called “Toby and the Bees” in which little Toby is told that although bees are “getting sick” it’s a problem caused by mites, and a “special medicine” will make the bees healthy again. Strangely, there is no mention at all of neonicotinoids in the book Bo Ying Compound Eu Yan Sang.

These kinds of tactics by the big three conglomerates are reminiscent of the tactics used for years by tobacco manufacturers – sponsoring sporting events, funding “independent” research, and the like – to divert attention from the harm their products cause.

The next challenge for our dwindling bee population will come at the end of the temporary EU ban on neonicotinoids, when European politicians will doubtless find themselves under enormous pressure from these extremely powerful vested interests not to renew the neonicotinoid ban.