Pesticides

in perspective
An introduction
to crop protection

www.pesticidesinperspective.org.uk
PUTTING PESTICIDES IN PERSPECTIVE . . .
Pesticides are a fundamental part of modern food production
but their use often divides opinion and attracts controversy.
It is also subject to a great deal of misunderstanding.
Many people’s view of modern agriculture is shaped by the
idea that nature knows best and that farming is in some way
an extension of the natural environment.
In fact, none of the food crops which make up the familiar
patchwork of our farmed environment are native to this
country. Many bear only a passing resemblance to their wild
ancestors. They have all been adapted - through scientific
innovation - to thrive under our growing conditions.
At the same time, our food crops must compete with 30,000
species of weeds, 10,000 species of insect
pests, and countless diseases. Without
crop protection, these natural pests
and predators would reduce our
food supply by around a third. 70%
Feeding a global population set increase in food
to reach 9.5 billion by 2050, in production required

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Aren’t chemicals
harmful and to be
avoided?
Chemicals are all around us,
the face of climate change,
pressure on finite natural resources
and dietary preferences, will require a
by 2050

70% increase in global agricultural productivity.

whether man-made or naturally Farmers will need to use every available technology - including
occurring. A common miscon-
pesticides – to ensure crop production keeps pace with this
ception is that all man-made
chemicals are harmful, and all burgeoning demand while protecting the natural environment
things natural are good for us. and conserving precious natural resources.
In fact, many naturally-occurring
chemicals can be just as harmful It’s time to put a fresh perspective on the essential role of
to human health, if not more so. crop protection in safeguarding our food supply, protecting the
Everyday fruit and vegetables environment and improving our quality of life.
such as pears, potatoes and
courgettes contain natural
chemicals that are toxic to
humans. But the critical issue
is the dose, or amount present,
which is usually well below

’
harmful levels.
Introduction to Pesticides
Crop protection products, also known as
pesticides, are chemical or biological
substances used to control unwanted
pests that can harm our food, health
or environment.
20-40%
of our food is lost
Pesticides are one of the vital tools to weeds, diseases

‘
that help farmers grow healthy crops, and pests Is organic food better
protecting our food supply against yield for you?
losses and damage caused by weeds, diseases Scientists have been comparing
and insects. organic and non-organic foods
for over 50 years, without
Without these products, crop yields and quality would fall, many finding any consistent evidence
foodstuffs would be in short supply, and food prices would rise. that organic foods are any
healthier. A review commissioned
Over 97% of UK farms use modern pesticides to deal with
by the UK Food Standards
a range of pest problems. They can be formulated as liquids, Agency in 2009 concluded that
granules or powders. Some are used pre-sowing as seed there are no meaningful
treatments, but most crop protection products are diluted in differences in the nutritional
water and applied to crops using specialised spraying equipment. content between organic and
conventionally produced food,
Pesticides are also widely used outside agriculture, for example to nor any additional health
improve the quality of gardens, golf courses and sports pitches, benefits. And of course, organic
farmers routinely use a range
and to maintain the safety of our roads and railways.
of non-synthetic sprays and
Advances in product development, powders to control weeds,
diseases and insect pests.
formulation and application
Scientists agree that what’s
ensure that modern pesticides are important is eating a balanced
safer, more precisely targeted diet with a good amount of
and more rapidly degraded in the fresh fruit and veg, whatever
environment than ever before. the production method used

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to grow them.

‘
We consume more
carcinogens in one cup
of coffee than we get
from the pesticide
residues on all the fruits
and vegetables we eat

’
in a year.
Benefits of pesticides
Food security
Modern farming methods will play a key role in boosting food production to meet the needs
of a rapidly growing world population. An estimated 20-40 per cent of our food is already
lost every year to weeds, diseases and insect pests. Without access to modern crop
protection tools, yields would fall by a further 30-40%.

Food prices
Pesticides help improve the competitiveness of our food supply chain and keep food
prices down. A recent economic report concluded that without pesticides, the nation’s
food bill would increase by around 40%, or £70 billion. Higher food prices would damage
other sectors of the economy, while consumers would also suffer a reduction in the
health benefits of having a wide choice of affordable fresh fruit and vegetables.

Recreation
Protecting the countryside and
improving our enjoyment of parks
and open spaces

Sport
Maintaining high quality golf
courses and sports pitches
Food quality and safety
By controlling the many pests and diseases which reduce yields and damage food quality,
crop protection enables consumers to choose from a plentiful supply of high-quality foods
that are affordable and accessible all year-round. Pesticides can also improve food safety
by reducing levels of the harmful natural toxins produced by fungi, insect pests and
bacteria in crops.

Quality of life Environment

Pesticides improve many aspects
of our daily lives, from the condition
and quality of parks, gardens, and
sports pitches to the safety and
appearance of our roads, railways
and urban areas.
Modern crop protection practices support increased
productivity on existing farmland, so alleviating pressure
on uncultivated areas which provide important habitats
for wildlife such as birds, bees and other insects.
More efficient weed control allows farmers to use
fewer cultivations such as ploughing, which helps cut
greenhouse gas emissions and improve soil quality.

Farming
Protecting our crops from harmful
weeds, pests and diseases

Transport
Keeping our roads
and railways safe

Home and garden

Improving our lawns,
vegetable plots and
ornamentals
 Why Pesticides are safe
- for you and the environment
How pesticides are approved for use
Like other chemical, medical or veterinary products, pesticides
can pose risks if not used properly. Their registration and use
are therefore strictly regulated and controlled.
Pesticide registration involves rigorous scrutiny by independent
scientific experts to ensure products are safe for consumers,
users and the environment. Typically more than 200 separate
scientific studies are required as part of this approval process.

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The use of pesticides
on arable crops in
Britain halved over the
20 year period from
Enormous progress has been made in recent years to develop
improved crop protection products that are target-specific,
degrade quickly in the environment, and do not accumulate
in the food chain.

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1990 to 2010. Ensuring each new pesticide is safe for consumers and the
environment can take up to 10 years at a cost of more than
£150 million.

Responsible use of pesticides

‘ Aren’t pesticides
harming bees and
other wildlife?
Declining bee populations are
Pesticides are used alongside a range of other agricultural
practices to control pests. This ensures farmers combine the
responsible use of pesticides with other methods, including
crop rotation, selection of disease - and pest-resistant crop
a major cause for concern, and varieties, and encouraging beneficial predator species such as
pesticides often provide an easy ladybirds and beetles to control insect pests. This approach
target for headline writers and
campaign groups. However,
is referred to as integrated pest management.
leading scientists and bee- The crop protection industry also promotes best practice
keeping organisations agree
in pesticide use through farmer training and education, and
that the most significant factors
affecting bee health are pests through collaborative stewardship programmes to protect
and diseases such as the Varroa water quality and enhance farmland biodiversity, such as
mite and Nosema virus, along- the Voluntary Initiative (www.voluntaryinitiative.org.uk) and
side habitat degradation, climate Campaign for the Farmed Environment (www.cfeonline.org.uk)
change and loss of nutrition
sources. Pesticides are strictly Advances in product development, regulation and stewardship
regulated to avoid any un- ensure that the use of pesticides today is safer than ever before.
intended adverse effects on
non-target insects such as

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bees and other wildlife.
 ‘
Do farmers really need
to use pesticides?
There is often a misconception
that farmers use pesticides even
though they don’t need to, with
Food Safety
anti-pesticide groups painting
All approved pesticides are subject to strict conditions of use a misleading picture of famers
“drenching” crops with these
- including the timing and rate of application - to ensure food
important products. Farmers
products do not contain potentially harmful levels of residue. only use pesticides when they
absolutely have to, to protect
For each pesticide, a Maximum Residue Level (MRL) is
their crops and tackle pests and
specified, usually expressed in terms of less than one part per diseases. They certainly won’t
million. An extensive programme of monitoring is conducted spend valuable money on
by an expert Government advisory committee to measure products they don’t need, and
pesticide residues in food. when they do buy pesticides,
they ensure they use only as
Together these controls ensure that if residues do occur, they much as necessary and not

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pose no safety issues. In fact, over 70% of food products a drop more.
consumed in the UK contain no residues at all. And where
they do occur, scientists and health experts overwhelmingly
.
agree that the mere presence of pesticide residues in food
does not mean that they are harmful.
US research has shown that every day an average man would
have to eat more than 150,000 servings of carrots, 15,000
servings of lettuce, or 2,500 helpings
of strawberries - all containing

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pesticide residues at the maximum
limits permitted - before reaching An average person
potentially harmful levels. would have to eat a
daily serving of 150,000
The Government’s advisory carrots – containing
committee on pesticide residues pesticide residues at
advises that the positive effects of the maximum limits
eating fresh fruit and vegetables as permitted – before
part of a balanced, healthy diet are well proven and reaching potentially

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far outweigh any concern about harmful levels.
pesticide residues.

40%
increase in food prices
without crop
protection
 200,000
more mouths to
feed every day
30-40%
of our food would be lost
increase in food
70%
to pest and diseases
without pesticides
production required
by 2050

40% increase in UK food

prices without pesticides

60-70%
more land would be
required to produce the
same amount of food
50%
reduction in pesticide use
without pesticides
on UK farms between
1990 and 2010

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