campaign calls on UK to ban pesticides in gardens and urban areas | Pesticides

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A leading insect specialist has called for a UK-wide ban on the use of pesticides in gardens and urban areas to protect bees, wildlife and human health.

Dave Goulson, professor of biology at the University of Sussex, said the ban on spraying chemicals in the country’s 22m private gardens, as well as roadsides, parks and other green spaces, could Slow the decline of insects by creating a network of nature-friendly habitats where insects can recover.

In a petition launched Thursday, Goulson urged the government to follow the example of France, which banned all use of synthetic pesticides in public spaces in 2017, and banned the use of gardens from 2019. The campaign was supported by the RSPB, Parkinsons UK, the Soil Association and other environmental groups.

The use of pesticides in agriculture is the subject of much debate. You can make a pretty strong argument that we probably need pesticides if we were to feed everyone. But we don’t need it in our gardens. There is no economic argument for this, Goulson said. If we connect private gardens with flowery roadsides and roundabouts, city parks, cemeteries, etc., it is potentially a network of insect-friendly habitats. It would be a big step in the right direction.

The massive use of pesticides has been highlighted as a factor in the catastrophic decline of insects around the world. In the UK, butterflies, moths and pollinating insects have suffered sharp declines in abundance.

The campaign is being launched as a study in the journal Nature suggests that the impact of agrochemicals on bee decline may have been underestimated. A meta-analysis of threats to bees found that if the problem was not addressed, further population declines were expected, with spillover effects on global food production.

Many cities and local governments around the world have taken action against pesticides and herbicides to protect insects. In Canada, 170 towns and villages are free from pesticides, while in Bavaria, drastic changes in agricultural practices were enacted after 1.75 million people signed a petition to protect plant and animal species.

The RSPB said it supports Goulsons’ petition in the hope that it will inspire public debate on the matter and pave the way for government and local authorities to reduce unnecessary use of chemicals.

Stephanie Morren, RSPB Senior Policy Officer, said: Nature is in crisis, with 15% of UK species threatened with extinction and it finds itself stuck in smaller and smaller spaces as urban spread increases. developed. But pesticide-free gardens and other urban green spaces can provide vital homes for our incredible wildlife and help revive our world.

Greenpeace, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and Parkinsons UK are among other groups supporting the campaign, also raising concerns about the links between pesticides and human health. Goulson created the petition as part of the launch of his new book, Silent Earth, which documents the decline of wild insect species.

Gareth Morgan, head of agriculture and land use for the Soil Associations, said: Most people are fed up with councils spraying our streets and parks with chemicals exposing their workers, the public and wildlife to what are truly poisons. We should seek to manage our open spaces and gardens without resorting to the use of pesticides.

Just as farmers have had to react to the ban on neonicotinoids harmful to bees, similar phase-outs of pesticides should be introduced so that the public and local authorities can start adopting sustainable and safe alternatives in our cities.

A Defra spokesperson said the government wanted to help people move away from chemical pest control and had recently consulted on the use of pesticides, with a report expected later this year.

Decisions about the use of pesticides are based on careful scientific risk assessment, and strict regulations allow their sale and use only when we believe they will not harm people or pose a risk. unacceptable for the environment, said a representative of Defra.

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