Unfortunately, there is no law or official way you can make them stop. We advise that you contact that farmer directly. Your council will not have the authority to dictate what an individual does on their private land. It is the farmer’s discretion to decide what pesticides to apply and [...]
The government’s Expert Committee on Pesticide Residues in Food (PRiF) test food products every few months for pesticide residues due to health concerns. However, they only take samples of some foodstuffs and this is by no means a comprehensive picture of exactly which pesticides (and how much of them) is [...]
Yes, organic farmers sometimes use pesticides. However, there are only 20 pesticides that they can use (as opposed to the hundreds used on conventional farms) and all of them are derived from natural ingredients. This means that they tend to be much less harmful to human and environmental health than [...]
There are many viable alternatives to industrial farming which are encompassed within ‘sustainable agriculture’. Sustainable agriculture refers to farming that is based on a whole ecosystem approach, investing in a healthy system which works with the environment, animals and people. It can take the form of various practices such as [...]
Conventional farming practices rely on pesticides to maintain adequate yield production levels. Spraying these dangerous chemicals requires very careful managing and farmers must wear appropriate protective gear. Rural residents living next door to farms can also be exposed to pesticide drift. Unfortunately, through chronic exposure and accidents, pesticides are a [...]
The agrochemical industry often claim that GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are designed to help reduce the need for pesticides, as they are developed to be resistant to certain pests. There is no evidence to support this. In fact, it is quite the opposite: genetically modified organisms are driving up pesticide [...]
Industrial farming, which relies on pesticides, is heavily subsidised by EU agricultural funding which has, to-date, favoured this large-scale production. In other words, pesticides don’t make food cheaper in and of themselves, but they do prop up a system of industrial farming which is designed to churn out masses of [...]
In short, no. The most comprehensive study of global food supply chains to date carried out by the United Nations found that small farmers (who often farm without pesticides) feed 70% of the world’s population. It is a myth that we need to produce more to “feed the world”, as [...]
For decades, the way the UK regulates and uses pesticides has been largely decided at the European level. However, as a result of the EU exit, the UK will soon be operating its own standalone pesticide regime. This change presents some major threats and opportunities in terms of protecting human [...]
