The government carries out a survey of pesticide use every year which they publish on the Pesticide Use Survey Statistics (PUS STATS) website. The data they publish only covers pesticides in detail by type (i.e. herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and so on). Crucially, this is only measured by weight and not [...]
We advise that you avoid all pesticides unless they are certified or approved for organic use. There are thousands of different substances that are used in agricultural land management, but in terms of chemicals available to individuals that are still sold in garden centres, there are a few notable ones [...]
The agricultural sector is the predominant user, using pesticides in the growing of crops which, in turn, can make their way back to consumers as a mix of residues on produce, pesticide drift if living in rural areas and through contaminated water sources. Pesticides are also used by councils and [...]
‘Pesticide’ is an umbrella term for any substance which is designed to control a pest or disease. Types of pesticides are: herbicides (designed to kill plants), insecticides (kill insects), fungicides (kill fungi), rodenticides (kill rodents), molluscicides (kill mollusks) and nematicides (kill nematodes), but also include synthetic plant growth regulators (modify [...]
There has been much public uproar about the UK lowering its food standards via a trade deal to accept ‘chlorinated-chicken’. However, the risks related to pesticides are equally significant but the issue isn’t getting enough public attention so the Government doesn’t feel under as much pressure to protect standards. Trade [...]
Each of our Toxic Trade reports and briefings contains a full list of recommendations, many of which are specific to the Free Trade Agreement in question. The following recommendations for the UK Government apply to all trade agreements across the board: Do not allow any weakening of UK pesticide standards [...]
The UK is particularly vulnerable to weakening its pesticide regulation through trade deals. This is due to a combination of political pressure to conclude trade deals in order to recoup lost EU market access and ‘make a success’ of Brexit, pressure from some UK lobby groups, and the fact that [...]
No! Trade deals are designed to remove restrictions on the trade in goods and therefore aren’t the place to secure better standards. A closer look at the EU’s existing trade deals reveals the limited prospects for the UK to ‘export’ a more stringent approach to pesticide regulation. These deals don’t [...]
Bilateral trade deals are negotiated between two countries. Both sides set out what they hope to achieve through the deal and negotiate with each other accordingly until an agreement is reached. In contrast, multilateral trade deals have three or more member countries and the core agreement is negotiated between the [...]
The Precautionary Principle, which emerged in the 1970s, theoretically underpins all current UK decision-making on pesticides. It allows regulators to adopt precautionary measures when scientific evidence about an environmental or human health hazard is uncertain and the stakes are high. For example, when evidence began to emerge that neonicotinoids were [...]
In theory, yes. The UK’s current pesticide standards offer better protection for human health and the environment than those of any non-EU country. Trade negotiations with all non-EU countries therefore pose a threat to UK pesticide standards as countries push to gain access to the UK market for their agricultural [...]
No, in fact it’s the opposite! Adopting strong Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) and restricting the import of produce that contains residues of banned pesticides is not only good for UK consumers who benefit from having less pesticides in their food but also has the potential to drive positive action in [...]
No! Refusing to buy food from a particular country will not stop a trade deal from being signed. Boycotts can also risk having unintended, negative knock-on effects on farmers, especially in poorer countries. It is also often impossible to discern where food has come from, especially if it is contained [...]
A drop in UK pesticide standards as a result of a trade deal would also pose a significant economic threat to the future of UK agriculture. If UK food starts to contain higher levels of more toxic pesticides then British farmers will struggle to meet EU standards, thereby losing their [...]
Any weakening of UK pesticide standards via trade deals poses risks not just to human health but also to the environment. Trade partners such as the US and India have a history of challenging the EU’s relatively precautionary approach to which pesticides are allowed for use, and the UK is [...]
There are significant questions about the UK border testing regime for pesticides and whether it is extensive enough to detect shipments of food containing pesticide residues above the UK’s legal limits. Specifically: The UK tests a small fraction of produce that is imported or on sale to the public, only [...]
While far from perfect, UK pesticide standards are some of the strongest in the world in terms of protecting human health. However, these relatively high standards prevent other countries from exporting food to the UK and governments therefore push to weaken UK protections. If UK trade negotiators give way to [...]
A trade deal is an agreement between countries designed to remove restrictions on goods and services traded between them. The key area where trade and pesticides intersect is around the global trade in food which totals roughly $2 trillion per year. Countries set different safety limits for how much of [...]
The UK government urgently needs to adopt the following key recommendations (the full list can be found in the report): Ensure that no weakening of UK pesticide regulations or standards occurs as a result of Brexit, including through trade negotiations with non-EU countries, and that in turn food imports meet [...]
Brexit presents both significant threats and opportunities in terms of addressing existing concerns around pesticide cocktails. Despite government promises to the contrary, the UK’s exit from the EU threatens to significantly weaken UK pesticide standards. This could potentially lead to a major rise in the number of active substances authorised [...]
