Pesticides

(asked on 27th January 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage the use of natural, plant-based pesticides instead of chemical-based products.


Answered by
Victoria Prentis Portrait
Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
This question was answered on 5th February 2021

The Government is committed to supporting the sustainable control of pests. The consultation on the National Action Plan for Sustainable Use of Pesticides outlines how the Government will support development of nature-based solutions, low toxicity methods, and biopesticides, in line with the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

Our strict regulation only allows the use of pesticides that are shown to meet high standards for the protection of people and the environment. These standards apply to both chemical and non-chemical pesticides, as it cannot be assumed that non-chemical pesticides are inherently safer.

The Government takes an active role in supporting the development and registration of biopesticides through the Biopesticides Scheme. This includes reduced application fees and a Biopesticides champion who can advise potential applicants. Since the start of the scheme, around 70 new products have been approved for use in the UK.

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