The government’s decision to waive further statutory controls on pesticide use has been met with conflicting responses within the industry.
While the Soil Association has hit out against the government for allegedly ignoring the Royal Commission on the Environment Pollution (RCEP)’s recommendation for a “more precautionary approach” to the use of pesticides, the NFU has welcomed the move as “a vote of confidence in the voluntary measures that farmers are taking to reduce the risks”.
The NFU has also backed the government’s sanction of a voluntary approach, pledging its support to communicating with any people still concerned about pesticide use.
NFU Vice President Paul Temple said: “We recognise people have genuine concerns about pesticide use and we will do everything we can to ensure those concerns are addressed.
“But the clear lesson of the last few years is that, as the government has now acknowledged, far more can be achieved by voluntary schemes such as farm assurance and the Voluntary Initiative than would ever be possible with yet more regulation.
“Pesticides are a vital ingredient in modern farming systems. Not only do they protect crops from pests and diseases, but they also protect health, by enabling us to produce food that is free of moulds, mycotoxins, insects and other pests that can cause ill health.
“There are a small number of complaints about health problems associated with pesticide drift and they do need to be taken seriously. But the way to address those concerns is through a combination of information and action at a local level, not by imposing a disproportionate amount of cost and regulation on an industry that has shown it is more than capable of regulating itself in this area.
The Soil Association has dismissed the need for pesticides, however, citing the Food Standards Agency’s admission of the health benefits of organic as supporting evidence.
The FSA’s statement reads: “Organic food contains fewer residues of pesticides used in conventional agriculture, so buying organic is one way to reduce the chances that your food contains these pesticides.”
Peter Melchett, Soil Association policy director, said: “If the Government won't look after people's health by acting on the best scientific advice they have, the answer has to be a large-scale move to organic farming, and the end of all pesticide sprays in the British countryside.”
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