A chief scientific adviser to the Government's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has said that the assumption by regulators around the world that it is safe to use pesticides at industrial scales is false. The virtual absence of monitoring of the effects of pesticides on the environment means that it can take years for impacts to become apparent.
A new article published in the journal Science by Professor Ian Boyd and his colleague Alice Milner follows an increasing number of reports that have been highly critical of pesticide regulations, showing that farmers could reduce their pesticide use without losses, and a UN report that denounced the idea that pesticides are necessary in order to feed the world.
The scientists said: "The current assumption underlying pesticide regulation – that chemicals that pass a battery of tests in the laboratory or in field trials are environmentally benign when they are used at industrial scales – is false." Whilst they cite the UK as an example of one of the most developed regulatory systems, they added that "it has no systematic monitoring of pesticide residues in the environment. There is no consideration of safe pesticide limits at landscape scales."
The article contrasts the situation with pharmaceuticals, for which there exists a system of rigorous global monitoring after a drug is approved in case any adverse effects emerge. There is further criticism of the use of pesticides as preventive treatments, instead of using them only sparingly when needed. There is the potential for widespread distribution of any chemical put into the environment, meaning there can be quite unexpected effects which are not seen until the pesticide is used at industrial scales.
The UK Government has repeatedly opposed European restrictions on insecticides that are widely used but have been linked to serious harm in bees. However, Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, said in July that changes to pesticide regulation are being considered, stating that there are opportunities post-Brexit to "develop global gold-standard policies on pesticides and chemicals".
