This week saw an unwelcome twist in the tale of the controversial neonicotinoid pesticides.
In December 2013, the EU banned neonicotinoids for use on crops that attract pollinators. This was in response to research suggesting that bees and other beneficial insects can be harmed by use of these chemicals. Since then, the evidence for risks to bees has got ever stronger, while research is uncovering a slew of other unforeseen hazards, potentially affecting wildlife from earthworms to partridges.
The ban meant that last autumn, when farmers were sowing the oilseed rape crop, for the first time in years none of the seeds were treated with neonicotinoids. Farmers in some parts of the country suffered worse than usual losses to pests – in some unfortunate cases crops were completely destroyed and had to be redrilled. But at a national level the impacts were reported as ‘modest’. It looked like the sector was going to be able to cope quite well with the withdrawal of neonicotinoids.
Nevertheless, the NFU, alongside the pesticides manufacturers themselves, has continued to lobby Government to lift the ban – in technical terms, to grant an ‘emergency authorisation’ to use these pesticides. And on 22 July, in the last hours before Parliamentarians headed off for the summer recess, it emerged that Defra had quietly given in to pressure.
In some ways, what Defra has actually granted is a minor concession. Only farmers in the 5% of the country considered most at risk from oilseed rape pests – about 30,000 ha in the East of England – are to be allowed to use neonicotinoids this autumn.
What concerns me is the veil of secrecy that surrounds this decision. Government is advised on pesticides policy by a committee of independent experts. This committee usually publishes the minutes of their meetings online where everyone can read them. However, the minutes of recent meetings are missing. Apparently, Defra officials instructed the committee to withhold the minutes of meetings where the neonicotinoids issue was discussed. The details of the NFU’s applications have also been kept secret, so we don’t know on what grounds they argued that an emergency authorisation is needed.
There is very strong evidence that neonicotinoids pose risks to our wildlife. The RSPB supports the EU-wide restrictions on neonicotinoid use and believes the ban should be expanded to cover all crops. The Government has repeatedly stated that it makes policies based on evidence, a stance that the RSPB fully endorses. However, it is difficult to see how this recent decision can be justified by the science. We are extremely concerned at the lack of transparency over how Government has arrived at this decision. The RSPB works with hundreds of wildlife-friendly farmers every year. We see first-hand how passionately these farmers care about their wildlife, and how they constantly innovate and adapt to face new challenges. It is disappointing that, rather than work with farmers on real, sustainable solutions to pest problems, the NFU and the pesticides industry continues to focus on lobbying government to lift the ban on neonicotinoids.