Joan Edwards, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at The Wildlife Trusts, said:
“For years, experts and more than 300,000 wildlife supporters have called for the ban against neonicotinoids to be upheld and The Wildlife Trusts are delighted with this decision.
“There is simply no place in modern sustainable agriculture for highly toxic pesticides that kill bees and poison soils and rivers. Neonicotinoids were originally banned in the UK in 2017 but were granted repeat authorisations for use, despite explicit guidance against their approval.
“Many farmers across England have already turned their backs on these devastating chemicals. It’s time for British Sugar to take greater responsibility, and pay growers a fair price for producing beets without neonicotinoids.
“The focus must now be on a complete, sustainable transition away from a reliance on the use of neonicotinoids not just in agriculture, but also in pet flea treatments. This is a key source of chemical pollution in our waterways, with 10% of UK rivers found to contain toxic neonicotinoid chemicals.”
