Issues

ENVIRONMENT Climate Change Energy Efficiency Organic Produce Pesticide Use Fish Water

SOCIAL Fair Trade Social Audit Local Sourcing

ECONOMIC BSE Lessons Hormones Antibiotics Additives Internal Operations

ALL Hygiene Health & Nutrition Animal Welfare GM Debate

The UK government has no plans to introduce targets to reduce pesticide use 'across the board' (National Pesticide Strategy). Pesticides in food are monitored by Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs), which are not safety levels but are "indicators of good farming practice" - to allow free movement of trade.

Pesticide residues in food are now the reponsibility of the Food Standards Agency. Residues in food are measured in the UK by the Pesticides Residues Committee.

Other aspects of pesticide use (other than disposal) are controlled by Control of Pesticide Regulations (COPR) through the Chemical Regulation Directorate. The Advisory Committee on Pesticides advises the government on pesticide matters. The ACP determines approvals on the basis of direct impacts of pesticides (whereas GM approval also includes indirect effects).

Controls are now made by the EU. A pesticide (or 'active substance') cannot be used in any Member State unless it is part of Annex 1 of Directive 91/414. From July 2003 over 300 active substances have been withdrawn, 45 of which were in current UK use. Latest Pesticides are ultimately are covered by international regulations called CODEX. Codex is part of the UN FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme concerned with protecting the health of consumers and ensuring fair practices in the food trade.

The Voluntary Inititiative was set to avoid the introduction of a pesticide tax. The Royal Commission Environmental Pollution Report (2005) investigated farm spraying and risks to neighbours - e.g should they have the right to know what is being sprayed on them?

DEFRA carried out a consultation (Dec 2010) on the EU Directive on Sustainable Use of Pesticides and concluded:"As UK pesticides safety standards are already amongst the highest in Europe, only minor changes are necessary to meet the new requirements, and no compelling evidence was provided in the responses to justify further extending existing regulations and voluntary controls." They concluded that there is no need to warn neighbours of spraying.