UK to Cut Pesticide Use on Farms 10% by 2030

The UK government has announced plans to reduce pesticide use on farms 10% by 2030. The target is the first pesticide national action plan (NAP) from the government in a decade and is meant to help reduce harm to pollinators and improve agricultural productivity via more sustainable methods.

The new action plan follows the ban on neonics in the UK, which was upheld earlier this year when a request for the emergency authorization to use a neonicotinoid called Cruiser SB was denied.

“The Government is restoring our natural world as part of our commitment to protect the environment while supporting productivity and economic growth. Environment Minister Emma Hardy said in a statement. “That is why we have banned bee killing pesticides in England and today we’re going further to support farmers and growers to adopt sustainable practices.”    

As outlined by the government, the pesticide NAP aims to reduce environmental harm from pesticides by at least 10% by 2030, rather than an actual volume reduction. The government will implement a Pesticide Load Indicator to measure progress. 

The plan also will emphasize integrated pest management practices to farms, encouraging farmers to use nature-based solutions over pesticides. Farmers are encouraged to practice crop rotating, mechanical and hand weeding, introducing predator to control pests and planting more pest- and disease-resistant crops, among other measures.

Finally, the NAP plans to increase trainings, guidance materials and greater enforcements to meet the target.

“While we had hoped for a higher percentage, the adoption of a target which takes into account both how much of a pesticide is used and how toxic it is a clear signal that reducing pesticide-related harms to the environment is now being taken seriously,” a Pesticide Collaboration spokesperson said, as reported by The Guardian. 

There are some limitations to the NAP, and critics noted that the action plan does not set goals for pesticide use in urban areas, only farms.

“The new plan’s failure to address the use of pesticides in urban areas is a major flaw,” Paul de Zylva, nature campaigner at Friends of Earth, told The Guardian. “The government must commit to the phasing out of pesticide and herbicide use in urban parks and streets, which is unnecessary and risks the health of people, pets, wildlife, rivers and soils.”

However, as a spokesperson from Pesticide Collaboration noted, “While there are no commitments to phasing out urban pesticide use, we have been assured by the government that this area of work will be progressed separately.”

While the move is a step in the right direction, it isn’t as significant as a similar plan by the European Union to reduce the use of more hazardous pesticides by 50% in the same timeframe as part of a Farm to Fork Strategy in Europe’s Green Deal.

Barnaby Coupe, senior land use manager at The Wildlife Trusts, said, “While not perfect, the inclusion of a new pesticide load indicator and a 10% reduction target mark a step forward in pesticide policy, but this target will need to become more ambitious over time if the UK is to meet its international commitment to half pesticide-related risks by 2030.