Closed petition Save the bees: cut hazardous pesticides and support nature-friendly farming
The Government should introduce an ambitious target for pesticide reduction, aimed at decreasing the overall amount used and toxicity levels. This should be coupled with new support for farmers to adopt alternative approaches to protecting crops, such as integrated pest management.
More details
Using pesticides to protect crops must be balanced against the long term dangers they pose to nature, such as harming critical pollinator species. For example, neonicotinoids are highly toxic to bees, but despite being prohibited the Government has authorised their use.
A clear pesticide reduction target, alongside new support for farmers in adopting alternative approaches, should encourage innovation and help protect the health of the British countryside and food security for future generations.
This petition is closed All petitions run for 6 months
Government responded
This response was given on 8 August 2022
The Government is committed to developing and implementing policies that support sustainable crop protection with the minimum use of pesticides.
Read the response in full
The Government's landmark Environment Act 2021 commits to halting the decline in biodiversity by 2030. Developing and implementing policies that support sustainable crop protection with the minimum use of pesticides, while ensuring pests and pesticide resistance are managed effectively, will play an important role in achieving this as well as safeguarding food security.
As set out in the Agricultural Transition Plan, by 2028 we want to see a renewed agricultural sector, producing healthy food for consumption at home and abroad, where farms can be profitable and economically sustainable without subsidy. We also want to see farming and the countryside contributing significantly to environmental goals, including addressing climate change.
The National Action Plan (NAP) for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides, to be published later this year, will set out measures for increasing the uptake of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and sustainable crop protection across agriculture, amenity and amateur sectors. IPM is a holistic approach which carefully considers all available plant protection methods, including increasing the use of nature-based, low toxicity solutions and precision technologies. We are working with farmers and stakeholders to develop new incentives under the future farming programme’s Sustainable Farming Incentive to support the uptake of IPM for introduction in 2023.
We have been assessing the role of targets, as well as the benefits and challenges of developing them, to support the ambitions of the final NAP. Improving indicators and establishing baselines is an important first step to ensure that goals are meaningful, measurable and drive positive change.
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Other parliamentary business
MPs debate the use of bee-killing pesticides in agriculture
On Wednesday 1 February, Luke Pollard MP led a Westminster Hall debate in Parliament on the use of bee-killing pesticides in agriculture.
Watch the debate
Read the transcript
What are Westminster Hall debates?
Westminster Hall is the second Chamber of the House of Commons.
Westminster Hall debates give MPs an opportunity to raise local or national issues and receive a response from a government minister. Any MP can take part in a Westminster Hall debate.
Debates in Westminster Hall take place on ‘general debate' motions expressed in neutral terms. These motions are worded ‘That this House has considered [a specific matter]'. This means that Westminster debates don’t end in a vote on a particular action or decision.
Get involved in the work of the UK Parliament
Sign up to the Your UK Parliament newsletter for the latest information on how to get involved and make a difference.