Today, the UK Government has published its National Action Plan (NAP) for sustainable pesticide use, a long-awaited framework to aid progress towards a healthier and more wildlife-friendly future. Pesticide regulation applies to the whole of the UK – both our countryside and urban areas.  

Barnaby Coupe, senior land use manager at The Wildlife Trusts, says:  

“Today’s National Action Plan for sustainable pesticide use, published 7 years after it was due to be renewed, has been long awaited and much needed if we are to reverse the declines in wildlife across the UK. While not perfect, the inclusion of a new pesticide load indicator and a 10% reduction target mark a step forward in pesticide policy, but this target will need to become more ambitious over time if the UK is to meet its international commitment to half pesticide-related risks by 2030. 

“Also missing is a clear commitment and strategy to phase out the unnecessary use of pesticides in urban areas. The continued use of harmful chemicals where people live and work is hugely damaging to wildlife and human health, with some cities and towns across the UK demonstrating that operating without chemicals is entirely possible. This was a missed opportunity, and UK Government must look to go further and faster to boost nature where it can deliver the most benefits for people and wildlife.” 

There has been an exponential growth in synthetic chemical use over recent decades, as Government policy has incentivised a model of farming based on increasing food production through using high-yielding seed varieties, artificial fertilisers, and pesticides. 

The widespread and unnecessary use of pesticides, across both farmland and city streets, is a key driver behind the catastrophic decline of insect populations. This, in turn, threatens our food security and risks ecological collapse, whilst soils and rivers become more polluted by toxic chemical cocktails.  

The Wildlife Trusts believe that an alternative future does exist – with many nature-friendly farmers pioneering ways to reduce chemical use across farmland, while cities and towns across the UK and Europe are flying the flag for pesticide free streets, parks and playgrounds.