In the United Kingdom, sugar beet growers are now given the green light to use neonicotinoids, a banned pesticide known to be deadly for bees, due to the prediction that a virus could spread in their crops. It is estimated that almost 70% of the national sugar beet harvest could be affected. The emergency approval has raised a heated debate in agriculture and the environment, given the known negative implications of pesticides for bees and the environment.
The decision came in January after a careful assessment of the threat posed by the Virus Yellows, and it was met with mixed reactions. On the one hand, farmers argue the need to protect their crops from the devastating virus, while on the other hand environmental activists denounce government approval as an affront to the previously imposed ban on these pesticides. The chairman of the NFU Sugar Committee, Michael Sly, stressed the crucial importance of this decision for an industry that employs over 9,500 people and is facing an imminent threat.
However, concerns about the negative impacts on the environment and bees are becoming increasingly apparent, considering the toxicity of neonicotinoids to pollinators. Environmental and wildlife activists warned that neonicotinoid – a seed treatment called thiamethoxam – disrupts the ability of bees to move and reproduce. Pesticides can also end up in watercourses and rivers, damaging aquatic life and persisting in the environment for a long time. Barnaby Coupe, head of land use policies at The Wildlife Trusts, said the decision to authorise its use was “a deadly blow to wildlife, a step backwards in evidence-based decision-making and a betrayal of farmers who produce food sustainably”.
Furthermore, the allocation of emergency authorisation for the use of these pesticides for the fourth time in a row raises doubts about the government’s willingness to promote the sustainable use of pesticides. In response to the criticism, the government has ensured strict control over the use of the pesticide, with strict restrictions and constant monitoring of neonicotinoid levels in the environment.
However, there is growing demand for a broader strategy on the sustainable use of pesticides and for more support for farmers to grow sugar beet without using harmful chemicals. While the government is committed to publishing a national strategy on the sustainable use of pesticides, the controversy remains heated between farmers, activists and environmental institutions, reflecting the complexity and urgency of the issue.