The Soil Association has dismissed “nonsense” claims made by the pesticide industry that all carrot growing in the UK may cease if the proposed EU legislation on pesticides is approved. Organic farmers prove that you can grow good crops with minimal or no use of pesticides.
The pro-pesticides lobby also suggested wheat yields may drop by 20-60 per cent, pea and onion yields will be down by 40 per cent and potato yields down by 26-60 per cent
The Soil Association has written today to Hilary Benn, Secretary of State, calling on him to drop his opposition to the EU pesticide proposals.
The European Parliament plenary vote will be taking place tomorrow (Tuesday) and the Soil Association suggested the proposals may be agreed substantially unaltered because they are supported by a majority of Member States and by the elected Members of the European Parliament.
The new rules will ban highly toxic chemicals which are genotoxic, carcinogenic or toxic for reproduction, but a clause in the legislation may mean some of these products could continue to be used for up to five years before being phased out.
A recently completed report for the Soil Association from the Centre for Agriculture Strategy at Reading University (research was based on statistics from Defra’s Farm Business Survey) suggests that more food could be produced under organic production than under the slightly improved pesticide regime about to be agreed by the EU.
Pesticide use could also fall by 98 per cent, which is far more than any projected fall under the EU proposals.
If Britain followed the diet recommended by the government and the World Health Organisation (WHO) - centred on eating more fruit, vegetables, whole grains and fewer meat products - then yields may be adequate without the use of pesticides.
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