Wednesday, 13th August 2008
Damaging effects of pesticide ban
Another ill-thought out piece of legislation from Europe is poised to have a catastrophic effect on our farming industry in Scotland. The EU is proposing to ban a number of herbicides, fungicides and pesticides from use in our arable sector on health grounds. In the new directive, many of these products would be eliminated because they are allegedly cancer-causing, although there is no substantive scientific evidence to prove this. While I fully support the need for plant protection products to be subjected to rigorous scientific risk-based approval to protect human and environmental health, the effects of such a wide-ranging ban are disproportionate to any perceived risk involved.
In June the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers voted by a qualified majority — with the UK abstaining — to adopt the proposals by the Commission. The draft regulation will now go before the European Parliament, which predictably has proposed even more draconian criteria leading to the likelihood of even wider bans which could take up to 90% of common herbicides, fungicides and pesticides off the market. It seems the EU is determined to move away from a balanced scientific risk-based approach to one which is notional and fails to take into account the stringent safeguards which are currently in place.
The banning of products like triazoles, which are used to control diseases in wheat, barley and other cereal crops, could see major losses in yields. Farmers in Scotland spray triazoles on spring and winter cereal crops to combat diseases like rhynchosporium, net blotch, eyespot and mildew, which can dramatically reduce crop yields and quality. If triazoles are forced off the market by these proposals, it will have a major impact on barley and wheat crops in the UK, at precisely the time when we are facing a food crisis and a shortage of these basic cereals. Because of our wet conditions these fungicides are essential for healthy crops that in turn are key ingredients for the internationally renowned Scottish food and drinks industry. France, Spain, Italy and other countries who voted in favour of this ban, did so because in their hot and dry climates, triazoles are not necessary to combat the kind of crop diseases that we face in our wet Scottish climate. With typical ‘savoir faire’ our Mediterranean neighbours knew that such a ban would place the UK at a competitive disadvantage and open up new market opportunities for them. The proposals are thus being driven by a cynical attempt to seize market share rather than any effort to improve health and safety.
When the European Commission presented its proposals to parliament in June, the UK and the Republic of Ireland were the only two to make strong objections. The UK backed up its argument by having figures provided by the Pesticides Safety Directorate (a Government Agency) which showed that up to 10% of insecticides, 35% of fungicides and 12% of herbicides would be lost immediately, with up to 90% of these products being removed from the market in the longer term by further bans. They described the move as potentially ‘disastrous’ and warned that the UK could would see between 20% and 30% reductions in arable yields immediately, together with a complete inability to grow a range of fruit and vegetable crops. Even greater losses in yields of up to 60% would occur when the longer-term proposals to ban a greater number of agrochemicals took effect.
At a time when the need for good, affordable, local food is an issue making the headlines, this directive will have serious consequences. Farmers would need to see substantial price increases in order to be able to sustain the production of crops like barley, wheat, potatoes, fruit and vegetables affected by these bans. Price hikes for foodstuffs in the current climate would be deeply unpopular and would add to inflation. The ban will also have a major impact on other associated businesses like the haulage industry, the food industry and of course the drinks industry who depend upon access to high quality agricultural raw materials at competitive prices in order to meet consumer demand for food. The sector is already facing serious challenges from rising fuel and commodity prices and this ban will simply exacerbate the situation, potentially forcing up prices in Scotland by as much as 30% for wheat and 49% for potatoes.
With the European Parliament due to discuss this Directive following the summer recess, it is vitally necessary to put pressure on Mrs Andrillou Vassiliou, the Commissioner for Health & Consumer Affairs, highlighting the impact that banning these herbicides, pesticides and insecticides – some of which have been used safely on Scottish farms for years – could have on our ability to grow Scottish crops. We must demand a full impact assessment from the European Commission before any such regulations are imposed by Brussels. It is time for the bureaucrats in Brussels to examine their proposals in the context of the wider global food crisis, rather than simply hammering farmers with endless bans and regulations which have little or no scientific merit.
