Rapid increase in pesticide use and new evidence of health impacts of very low doses
New evidence suggests pesticide use has seen a massive increase in the UK over the last 40 years, with a potential impact on human health, delegates at a Royal Society of Medicine conference have heard. This is in sharp contrast to the claim by the pesticide industry that use has halved. Using data extracted for […]
Government must ban bee-harming pesticides as new research shows risk to bumblebee extinction
The government must act to permanently ban bee-harming pesticides says Friends of the Earth as new research from Royal Holloway University released today (14 August) suggests that neonicotinoid pesticides are a risk to bumblebee extinction. The research showed that queen bees exposed to neonicotinoid pesticides were 26% less likely to be able to start a […]
Friends of the Earth takes first legal steps on pesticides decision
Friends of the Earth has taken the first formal legal steps over the Government’s decision to permit the use of bee-harming pesticides in England despite a Europe-wide ban. The group has written a judicial review pre-action letter to Secretary of State for the Environment, Liz Truss MP, as the prospective defendant. The action has been […]
New £1.1 million R&D call to improve biopesticide performance for protected and ornamental crops
A substantial investment into research that will improve the performance of biopesticide products for use in protected edible and ornamental crops has been launched by AHDB Horticulture (formerly HDC). The call for proposals announced today will see £1.15 million invested over five years, directly tackling the needs of growers. The resulting research will aim to […]
Shropshire dairy farmer winner of VI illegal pesticides campaign at Cereals
A qualified sprayer operator and member of the National Register of Sprayer Operators (NRoSO), Mr Heath encourages livestock farmers who have yet to get certificated to do so before Grandfather Rights end this November: ‘It’s important that all farmers, weather livestock or arable, can show that they are using pesticides responsibly; one step towards this […]
Statement on IARC Review of Pesticides
The Lancet Oncology recently published conclusions from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) that found five pesticides to be “possibly” or “probably” carcinogenic to humans. The following is a statement from ECPA Director General Jean-Charles Bocquet: “The IARC conclusions published in Lancet Oncology contradict the world’s most robust and stringent regulatory systems – namely […]
Bayer loses libel action with regards to pesticide harm claims
German chemical giant Bayer has failed in its attempt to sue Friends of the Earth Germany over its claims that thiacloprid, a pesticide manufactured by Bayer, harms bees. Responding to yesterday’s ruling by a judge in Dusseldorf that the environmental group had a right to voice its concerns, Friends of the Earth (England, Wales and […]
New EFSA Annual Pesticide Residues Report confirms safety of Europe’s food
Today’s report from the European Food Safety Authority confirms once again that Europe’s food supply is among the safest in the world. Europeans today enjoy a plentiful supply of fresh fruits and vegetables all year round thanks to modern solutions that support productive, competitive and sustainable agriculture. The report contains findings from tests […]
Pesticide control – very high level of compliance with MRLs
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) latest Annual Report on Pesticide Residues contains findings from tests carried out in 2012 on nearly 79,000 samples and found that overall 98.3% of these food products were within the maximum residue levels (MRLs) of pesticides permitted in the EU. More pesticide residues exceeding the MRLs were found in […]
