Food production faces another major challenge on top of climate change – the ban of a large number of pesticides currently
used by farmers.
My MEP Robert Sturdy is vigorously opposing EU plans which could result in more than 80% of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides that are commonly used on British farms today being taken off the market. German Green MEP Hiltrud BREYER is the driving force behind this proposal.
She believes that banning "hazardous" pesticides from EU food production represents a "win-win" for consumers and the farming industry.
Under the new legislation, certain pesticides will be banned because they contain active ingredients that are deemed hazardous.
However, Robert sensibly believes it is ludicrous to do such a thing without scientific proof to support these claims. He criticised the "hypocrisy" of stifling productive farming at a time when world starvation was increasing.
"How many people have died from eating food containing pesticide residues in the EU? Compare that with the numbers who have died in Africa from having no food."
On the same theme, Farmers’ Weekly has launched an SOS petition – Save Our Sprays which you may like to support, and which I have just signed. It is calling for:
1. A full EU-wide impact assessment – looking at the effect of the draft regulation on food supply, food prices and farm incomes, as well as the environment and human health – is carried out before any more decisions are taken by the European parliament and the EU agriculture council.
2. The hazard criteria used to determine whether a pesticide can be used or not must be better defined, and the number of criteria must not be increased.
Its Editor Jane King, who writes a blog, has described how food prices will soar as a result of this ban – potatoes will double, bread will go up by 9p, pork chops will increase by 40p per kg and a carton of milk will cost 3p a litre more.
Without these crop protection products, it is feared that food output throughout Europe will drop significantly, driving food prices even higher.
It seems ironic that the European Parliament is 
considering this at the same time as 
making a commitment to end hunger and malnutrition.
There’s always a bigger picture to consider and the implications of this proposal have not been thought through. Let’s hope we can rely on French farmers to be a vocal and visible force in protests against this. We can usually rely on them…..
I agree Ellee, this needs to be investigated and not just imposed without any evidence.
“How many people have died from eating food containing pesticide residues in the EU? Compare that with the numbers who have died in Africa from having no food.”
How many simple rebuttals like this can be levelled at the EU and the environmentalists ? Lots I should think but they are ignored.
A recent correspondent on Ceefax argued that EU membership was worth it along these lines:
His business recieved funding of £1 million from Europe. As Britain’s contribution to the EU budget is 13% of the whole he reasoned that the EU had provided his business with £870,000 of funding.
How many member states are there in the EU ? Now do the math – he’s seriously wrong with his figures I think you’ll find.
Europe is the worst thing to have happened to Britain and this is just one more thing to add to a very long and damning list.
Bang on Kevin.
Tell me are those sheep above meant to portray British voters?
Grrr….
[…] The new threat to food production – banning pesticides […]
I am just back from a meeting with Farmers Weekly Editor Jane King which I arranged for a client. She is terrific, very proactive and has a good understanding about social media. She is a breath of fresh air in a male dominated traditional industry.
I would argue that yes pesticides need to be reduced but this should be done properly with thought and research. As for the whole expense of produce, surely we should be focusing on the supermarkets who pull money out of consumers more effectively than banks ever could and yet fail to provide their suppliers (the farmers) with a fair price taking the Lions pride’s share of the profit for themselves… What other company could add profit growth of 10% plus in the last 6 months? Only Tesco of course… Not good at all for either the consumer or the farmer (we have farmers in the family so it matters greatly)
Mike
PS – Sorry to hear about your cat Jack. Our cat broke his pelvis years ago and we had to put him down as well as it was the kindest thing to do. He managed to get to 19 years which was great
[…] The new threat to food production – banning pesticides […]