PESTICIDES NATIONAL ACTION PLAN LAUNCHED BY UK GOVERNMENT
The UK will reduce the potential harm caused by pesticides to the environment by at least 10% by 2030, according to government plans set out recently.
The Pesticides National Action Plan, the first in a decade, sets out a clear direction for the sustainable future of pesticide use in the UK.
However, the plan’s target for pesticide reduction is not as demanding as the EU’s which aims to ensure that member states reduce the use and risk of chemical pesticides, as well as the use of more hazardous pesticides, by 50% by 2030.
The Action Plan sets out how farmers, growers and other land managers can increase their use of nature-based techniques, reducing the potential harm from pesticides, while still controlling pests effectively. This can be achieved by adopting integrated pest management which includes sowing plants that are more attractive to certain pests next to crops, to divert their attention away, or using carnivorous beetles or other predators to keep down pest numbers.
There will be penalties for anyone that fails to use pesticides responsibly, and the target will note how toxic a pesticide is as well as how much of it is used.
For more information on the plan, click here. And more information on the safe use of pesticides can be found here.
