The UK government has announced it will consider legislative changes to prevent the use of three neonicotinoids that are lethal to bees. The chemicals were banned in 2018, but sugar beet farmers have been permitted to use them for the past four years to tackle the spread of viruses transmitted by aphids. The National Farmers’ Union and British Sugar have, however, submitted an application for the use of neonicotinoids in 2025, which will be subject to existing laws.
Studies have shown that neonicotinoids can cause cognitive issues in bees, impacting the productivity of hives and posing a significant risk to other pollinators. While application for emergency use authorisation of such pesticides is still permissible under current legislation, legislation changes being considered could legally prevent their future use.
Wildlife groups have responded positively to the potential ban, with Craig Bennett, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, hailing it as long overdue. However, Jenna Hegarty, policy head at the Nature Friendly Farming Network, noted that the current proposal of a ban does not preclude any future applications for emergency authorisation.
Michael Sly of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) sugar board and Dan Green, agriculture director for British Sugar, noted the clear risk posed by virus yellows, but claimed that the pesticide would only be used as a seed treatment if a level of risk determined by the government was reached and that its use would be “strictly managed”. They also expressed the industry’s commitment to finding “sustainable solutions” for crop disease, including the development of virus yellows-resistant crops by 2026.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
