SWITZERLAND TO VOTE ON PESTICIDE BAN
Swiss citizens will get the chance to vote on a complete ban on the use of synthetic pesticides. More than 100,000 Swiss signed the call for a ban that would apply to all farmers, industries and imported foods. If the vote is passed, Switzerland would become only the second country after Bhutan to implement a full ban. Just a few weeks ago, the EU agreed to a near-total ban on the use of neonicotinoids, the most widely used class of insecticides in the world. The Swiss initiative would go much further than the handful of towns and regions around the world that have already banned all synthetic pesticides. The formal petition will be presented to the Federal Chancellery in Bern on May 25. For the full story, visit http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-44130493.