by Renan Bajurto, Ecological Coffee Cooperative 'La Labor' (COCAFELOL) (This post is part of a summary of presentations prepared by Dr Stephanie Williamson, PAN UK, from the Coffee without HHPs workshop in Costa Rica, April 2017) Key messages: Each farm is a different world- it’s important not only to train farmers but [...]
by Antonio Alberto Tzep Lopez and Diego Chox Dix, Cooperative Nahuala (This post is part of a summary of presentations prepared by Dr Stephanie Williamson, PAN UK, from the Coffee without HHPs workshop in Costa Rica, April 2017) Key messages: Using natural ingredients instead of synthetic agrochemical inputs can give good results [...]
by Juan R. Montero Gamboa & Ing. Gabriel Umana AEA León Cortés, Monsol Sustainable Farm, Los Santos Zone, Costa Rica (This post is part of a summary of presentations prepared by Dr Stephanie Williamson, PAN UK, from the Coffee without HHPs workshop in Costa Rica, April 2017) Shade management at Monsol [...]
by Edwar Vasquez Vallecillo, SMS Sustainable Management Services, Exportadora Atlantic & Elmer Sarantes Cáceres, Cooperative Santiago, Jinotega Dept, Nicaragua (This post is part of a summary of presentations prepared by Dr Stephanie Williamson, PAN UK, from the Coffee without HHPs workshop in Costa Rica, April 2017) Key messages: Good IPM strategies for [...]
by Dr Primo Chavarria, Weed Scientist, Costa Rica (This post is part of a summary of presentations prepared by Dr Stephanie Williamson, PAN UK, from the Coffee without HHPs workshop in Costa Rica, April 2017) Key messages: Avoid excessive or inappropriate use of glyphosate and other herbicides. Spraying several times [...]
PAN Europe has published an updated edition of its report on alternatives to glyphosate as a contribution to the ongoing discussions among some Member States, led by France, on phasing out glyphosate and promoting alternatives. On the fringe of next week’s gathering of the EU agricultural ministers (Tuesday, 16 July), France will [...]
by Prof Michael Eddleston and Dr Leah Utyasheva Highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) not only harm our health and environment and pollute our food and water.1 They also cause over 150,000 suicide deaths globally each year. Out of the 800 000 individuals who die from suicide worldwide each year - one death every [...]
Great result for pollinators as ban on bee-toxic pesticides made permanent Today’s news that the European Commission has extended – and made permanent – the existing ban on three bee-toxic neonicotinoids is warmly welcomed by Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK). After spending more than a decade warning of the [...]
Today (Wednesday 28th February) the European Food Standards Authority (EFSA) has published its reviews of the scientific evidence on neonicotinoids and the harm they do to bees. Their reviews of approximately 1000 scientific papers has led them to conclude that the three neonicotinoids - clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam - all [...]
by Josie Cohen, Head of Policy and Campaigns (January 2018) In November 2017, EU member States narrowly voted for a five-year reauthorisation of glyphosate, the world’s most widely used weedkiller. While this is far from the fifteen-year license the agrochemical industry was pushing for, the result was a major disappointment [...]
In December 2013, the European Commission restricted the use of three highly bee-toxic neonicotinoid insecticides, namely imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam. On the 4th anniversary of the partial ban on these substances, new scientific knowledge confirms that these restrictions do not go far enough. Therefore, more than 80 EU NGOs are gathering [...]
Update - 27th November - Glyphosate license renewed for a further five years PAN UK is disappointed to report that the controversial weed killer, glyphosate, has been given approval for use in the EU for a further five years. What is even more disappointing is that the new approval comes [...]
A review of pesticide use in global cotton production - 10th October 2017 (PLEASE FIND OUR REVISED ISSUE FOR JUNE 2018 HERE) A new report published today by PAN UK, with support from the C&A Foundation, investigates the current rate of pesticide use in cotton, and examines its trends [...]
by Sam Claydon, Communications Officer, PAN UK (19th September 2017) PAN UK is working with partners and colleagues in Ethiopia to teach smallholder cotton farmers how to manage their fields using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) methods in order to move away from an over-reliance on pesticides. In a lucky turn [...]
This new booklet demonstrates that the phasing out of highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) is possible. Replacing these pesticides with safer and sustainable alternatives can be done, technically and economically. Governments and supply chain actors can help put alternatives into practice. We use case studies to describe alternative methods for managing [...]
by Stephanie Williamson, Staff Scientist, PAN UK I’ve recently returned from an exciting ten days in Costa Rica, working with our partners at the Regional Institute for Research on Toxic Substances (IRET) at the National University. The aim of my visit was to share findings from our project on Phasing [...]
Since 2013 we have been working to support cotton farmers in Southern Ethiopia to adopt safer and more sustainable methods of growing pesticide-free cotton. We now have 2000 smallholder farmers achieving average yields over 100% higher than before. An organic cotton producers’ cooperative is selling Grade A organic cotton [...]
by Dr Meriel Watts, Senior Science Advisor of PAN Asia Pacific (PANAP) PAN UK recently attended the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions Conferences of Parties (Triple COPs), held in Geneva in May 2017. These conventions are international initiatives attempting to establish basic regulatory measures for pesticides at the global [...]
Using the food spray method to enhance biological control in cotton. PAN UK began working with Integrated Pest Management expert, Robert Mensah, ten years ago to develop a food spray, using cheap and locally available materials, to enhance populations of beneficial insects in smallholder cotton fields in Africa. Find out [...]
by Nick Mole, Policy Officer, PAN UK It's National Gardening Week, a time for people to get out in their gardens, enjoy the spring weather and get those ornamental beds looking good in time for summer. But, there are some things that have no place in a garden. You're probably [...]
