European Pesticides Directive

Saturday, July 5, 2008
Posted in Organics Sustainability | Tagged Organics, Sustainability

A directive being proposed by the European Commission is designed to reduce the level of toxic chemicals in food. Elliott Cannell, a spokesperson for Pesticide Action Network Europe, said: ‘The UK Government’s approach to pesticide legislation is extremely disappointing… Cancer is the second biggest cause of death in Europe. So it makes real sense to ensure that carcinogenic and mutagenic pesticides are no longer common contaminants in fruits and vegetables… All of the other major agricultural producers in Europe, including France, Germany, Spain, and Italy, are pushing for the removal of hazardous pesticides from European food products. It’s an insult to common sense that the UK should try to hold back progress across the EU.’
Georgina Downs, who runs the UK Pesticides Campaign, accused the agriculture industry of trying to scare people.

“Unfortunately they seem to be more concerned with food and prices when the priority should be human health and the environment. They argue that yields will drop and prices will rise if they are now allowed to use pesticides when there is clear evidence that yields can be increased through the use of non-chemical and organic methods,” she said.
The Daily Mail (3 July, p.31)
The Daily Telegraph (3 July)
The Times (3 July)
Financial Times (3 July)
Soil Association campaigner Emma Hockridge is being interviewed on BBC Three Counties Radio (11.20).
BBC Three Counties Radio - Listen again (3 July)

Soil Association comment - The proposed EU directive will only cover around 5% of the most hazardous pesticides. They are carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic substances. Detailed research has shown that these products can have serious impacts on human health, and removal of these chemicals would have no impact on crop production. All the other major European agricultural nations are supporting these proposals, and the UK should immediately sign up. A recent pesticide contamination incident highlights the flaws in the current regulation, and we have written the secretary of state regarding this matter.

“What I find most absurd is the claim that the EU proposals are not based on science. Hundreds of thousands of pounds are spent analysing the characteristics of each pesticide substance approved for use, and whole teams of national and European scientific experts are involved. Where a specific pesticide is classified as being carcinogenic it’s because there is substantive scientific evidence linking that substance with cancer.”

Professor Vyvyan Howard, toxico-pathologist at the University of Ulster, and a member of the Government’s Advisory Committee on Pesticides, Commenting on the UK’s official position to the
EU proposal to remove the most hazardous pesticides from European food produce, 2 July 2008

260m driven into hunger by push for biofuel
The G8’s push for greater biofuel use has been a significant factor in driving 760 million people into food insecurity and putting them at risk of hunger in the past two years, ActionAid says today. Released before next week’s G8 summit in Hokkaido, Japan, the charity’s report, Cereal Offenders, says the 82% rise in food commodity prices since 2006 has directly pushed 260 million people into risk of hunger as a result of the rich world’s drive for biofuels.
The Guardian (3 July, p.25)