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Pesticide Action Network UK

We are the only UK charity focused on tackling the problems caused by pesticides.
Pesticide Action Network UK

Helping Cotton Farmers to Cut Pesticide Use
Pesticide Action Network UK

Are Pesticides Harming Bees?

PAN UK HomeSam Claydon2024-11-14T00:15:36+00:00

PAN UK Updates

Pesticide toxicity on pollinators has increased
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Pesticide toxicity on pollinators has increased

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Pesticide toxicity on pollinators has increased

Sam Claydon2021-09-13T11:32:51+01:00September 13th, 2021|

by Professor Parthiba Basu A reduction in the volume of pesticide consumption in certain countries is often cited as a [...]

Streams in agricultural ecosystems heavily polluted with pesticides
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Streams in agricultural ecosystems heavily polluted with pesticides

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Streams in agricultural ecosystems heavily polluted with pesticides

Sam Claydon2021-09-13T11:34:04+01:00September 10th, 2021|

In a German nationwide monitoring programme, a consortium of scientists led by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) has [...]

Interactions between pesticides increases bee mortality
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Interactions between pesticides increases bee mortality

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Interactions between pesticides increases bee mortality

Sam Claydon2021-09-13T11:35:40+01:00September 8th, 2021|

by Dr Harry Siviter A doctor will always ask if you are on any other medication before they write you [...]

Find out more about glyphosate - the active ingredient in Roundup

Find out more alternatives to pesticides using our resources section.

Find out more about the work we do to end pesticide use in cotton

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A walk in the countryside used to be buzzing with

A walk in the countryside used to be buzzing with life, but now the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. The countryside is almost devoid of life and our gardens are quieter than ever.

The alarming over-use of pesticides in our countryside, our gardens and in our urban spaces is one of the key drivers of these losses.

A @buglife_ict project has found a 78% drop in abundance of flying insects since 2004. @savebutterflies has declared a butterfly emergency as numbers hit the lowest on record this year. @bumblebeeconservationtrust has reported that bumblebees are in crisis with populations having crashed.

You may not be a fan of wasps, mosquitos and flies, but these species underpin an ecosystem of interconnected relationships full of glorious colour, intrigue and curiosity. Insects, in their various life stages, are food for nearly all of our other much-loved wildlife further up the food chain, from birds and bats to hedgehogs and frogs and toads, all of which are now also struggling to survive.

Hundreds of different pesticides (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides etc.) are approved for use in the UK and insecticides in particular have become far more toxic over the years. There is little to no understanding of how this invisible cocktail of chemicals interacts with one another to affect our soil, water, our biodiversity and us.

We work tirelessly to change this toxic tide. But, with your help we can do even more!

The use of pesticides underpins many of the challenges we face today. They are largely made from fossil fuels, they support industrial farming, deforestation and habitat loss, they degrade our soils and poison our rivers. Yet, they don’t receive the attention they deserve from the public or decision makers.

Please support us with a donation this year. Or even better, sign up to support us with a direct debit each month to enable us to plan ahead. Join us in our fight against an incredibly powerful pesticide industry. Our wonderfully diverse and vibrant world of insects is counting on us.

Link in our bio! 💛

New analysis shows that food imported into Great B

New analysis shows that food imported into Great Britain may pose a greater risk to consumer health than domestically grown produce. The most recent testing by the UK government detected 46 pesticides with links to cancer on imported produce, compared to 19 on food of UK origin.

These results were mirrored by other pesticides of concern. Between two and three times the number of both “developmental or reproductive toxins” (which negatively affect sexual function and fertility) and neurotoxins (impacts the nervous system) were detected in imports when compared with UK produce.

Imported food was also found to contain more than double (29 to 12) the number of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals which can interfere with hormone systems leading to a range of health problems including cancers and birth defects.

Find more info via the link in our bio.

The new ‘Dirty Dozen’ list is now available to

The new ‘Dirty Dozen’ list is now available to download. The list, which reveals the food most likely to contain cocktails of multiple pesticides, is designed to be used as a handy leaflet to help you avoid the ‘dirtiest’ produce and make informed shopping decisions.

Topping the most recent list is soft citrus, which includes satsumas, tangerines and clementines.

Note that the most recent data is based on the UK government’s testing in 2023. There is a second list looking at produce over the last six years which gives a more general overview.

Despite some food items showing residues of up to 12 different pesticides, government safety limits continue to be set for just one chemical at a time, ignoring evidence that chemicals can become more harmful when combined.

#thecocktaileffect
#dirtydozen

Click the link in our bio for access to the list.

Today, 50 civil society organisations have come to

Today, 50 civil society organisations have come together to call on Brighton & Hove Council to return the city to being pesticide-free in 2025.

The organisations represent a plethora of different communities and voices, all of whom are deeply unhappy with the Council’s decision to return to using glyphosate on the city’s streets this past year. They share a concern for the health of residents, workers, children, pets, wildlife and the natural environment from toxic herbicides.

Glyphosate exposure has been linked to a range of chronic diseases, most notably Non- Hodgkin lymphoma (a type of blood cancer) and Parkinson’s. It has been shown to harm bees and other wildlife, both by impacting upon their health directly and removing habitat they rely on for foraging.

Glyphosate applied to hard surfaces – as in the city – runs off into water sources impacting aquatic species. This contamination is particularly concerning in Brighton & Hove where we rely upon the aquifer for drinking water. That is why both the Environment Agency and Southern Water advised the Council against returning to using glyphosate and other herbicides in December 2023. Southern Water told the Council: “…from a groundwater quality risk perspective we do not support the use of glyphosate within any of the groundwater catchments in Brighton and Worthing from which we abstract drinking water for customers”.

As acknowledged by the Council’s own document from January 2024, even when applied using a controlled-droplet approach, the return to glyphosate will have negative impacts on “biodiversity and nature conservation” and “…does not support the council’s objectives relating to the climate and biodiversity emergency”. The same paper also acknowledges the potential risk to public health.

Fifty towns and cities in the UK are entirely pesticide-free, as is every town and city in France, Denmark and Luxembourg. These places have proven that it is entirely possible to end pesticide use without affecting accessibility or infrastructure.

We are very excited to report that our new Superma

We are very excited to report that our new Supermarket Ranking launched today!

We have ranked the UK’s ten biggest supermarkets on their efforts to protect consumers, farmworkers, and wildlife from pesticides. While some supermarkets are doing MUCH better than others, all ten could be doing more to tackle pesticide harms.

This is particularly true when it comes to protecting bees and other pollinators from pesticides since all of the UK’s ten largest supermarkets continue to use neonicotinoids and other highly bee-toxic pesticides in their global supply chains.

We need supermarkets to move further and faster, and nothing influences them as much as hearing from their customers.

Please join us in urging supermarkets to commit to ending the use of all highly bee-toxic pesticides throughout their global supply chains

Link in bio.

#toxicsupermarkets

Brighton Pavilion MP @sian_berry has just introduc

Brighton Pavilion MP @sian_berry has just introduced a bill in parliament, that would ban local councils and other public authorities from using pesticides in villages, towns and cities.

This is a huge step forward! We hope to see cross-party support for the bill.

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The Brighthelm Centre, North Road, Brighton, BN1 1YD