In response to the lack of government action to tighten regulations on a group of the world's most widely used pesticides, two UK organisations have joined together to launch a campaign they hope will achieve the critical mass needed to enact a change in policy.

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According to campaigners, the past month has been a bad one for bees. In late February, Defra quietly released the delayed National Action Plan on pesticides. Upon its publication, the plan's critics lamented its lack of ambition and claimed the policy framework does not meet the standards laid out in the new EU Directive it was intended to address. 

In talks organised by the European Commission in Mid-March, UK environment secretary Owen Paterson failed to support a resolution to restrict the use of neonicotinoid pesticides on crops attractive to bees. The measures were put forward by the Commission at the recommendation of EU health and safety advisors EFSA, who declared that the pesticides present "an unacceptable risk" to bees, and potentially other insect pollinators. As a result of the stalemate, the resolution did not pass and the Commission has appealed the blocked vote, in the hope of resolving the loggerheads itself.

On Thursday (21st March), the Environmental Justice Foundation and Pesticide Action Network launched their campaign to ban the controversial chemicals at an event in the House of Commons. The event, hosted by Sir Bob Russell MP for Colchester, featured talks from Ian Bowles, head of sustainability at Premier Foods and TV chef Ainsely Harriott. The organisers said Paterson had failed to back "a minimum step" to protect the EU's pollinating insects.

EJF head Steve Trent quoted former environment secretary Lord Deben who, in stark contrast to the position adopted by Paterson's Defra, has warned that "If ever there were an issue where the precautionary principle should guide our actions, it is the use of neonicotinoid pesticides. Bees are too important to lose." Trent said that, contrary to the findings of industry funded studies, "we can do without these chemicals," and described the government's response to the clear threat as "myopic."

Neonicotinoids are systemic pesticides. Usually applied as seed coatings they spread throughout every part of the plant, and are present in pollen. Numerous scientific studies have revealed that the presence of these chemicals in crops pollinated by bees adversely affects the insects, which are already threatened by habitat loss, climate change and disease. NFU, which backs the UK government's stance on pesticide regulation, acknowledged in a recent consultation with Defra that "It is very well known that the current pesticide risk assessment systems for bees were not developed to assess systemic pesticides."

However, neonicotinoid pesticides currently account for 24 percent of the pesticide market and agrochemical manufacturers are fighting fiercely to prevent a ban.

Loss of bees would hamstring Mr Kipling

Ian Bowles, head of sustainability at Premier Foods, the UK's largest food manufacturer, which owns brands including Mr Kipling, Hovis and Sharwoods, said on Thursday that the company is taking action on the issue of pollinator decline as it recognises its own brands would suffer as a result of pollinator loss. Bowles said that apples used in Mr Kipling cakes would represent the biggest loss to the company if bee populations completely collapsed. This has happened already in some areas of the world, forcing farmers to pollinate crops by hand.

The Premier Foods executive added that "I can't say Premier Foods is pushing for a total ban on neonicotinoids, but what I can say is that we are sticking our head a little way above the parapet and supporting EJF and PAN's campaign."

Sustainable fashion guru Katharine Hamnett also spoke on Thursday. Ms Hamnett started her impassioned speech by declaring, "It's been a bad week for democracy in Blighty." She revealed that three quarters of the UK population polled prior to the European Council vote on neonicotinoids supported a partial ban as recommended by the EFSA and questioned politicians' motivations in failing to act to protect one of the UK's most valuable natural resources. She concluded "there is something rotten in the state of our democracy."

Last to take to the stand was Keith Tyrell, head of PAN UK. Mr Tyrell said "scientific evidence-base [against neonicotinoids] is strong and getting stronger," adding that bee decline "is not a coincidence. We know the means by which they affect bees." However, he warned that the pesticide industry has mounted a huge PR campaign with the intention of muddying the water over the neonicotinoid issue.

Tyrell claimed that countries which have acted to restrict neonicotinoid use, including France, Germany and Italy, suffer fewer bee deaths and have more colonies that survive the winter. Lastly, he warned that "bees are a commercial insect, involved in the production of honey," and as such the adverse effects on honey bees has been well documented, whereas wild bees and other pollinators, including moths and bats, are also suffering population declines which have been much less popularised.

EJF on need for neonicotinoid restrictions

Juliette Williams, director of the Environmental Justice Foundation, told Farming Online that the campaign aims to increase pressure on the UK government to act on the damaging pesticides. On Friday she said, "Given that the EU Commission is appealing the recent vote for a ban we aim to leverage support from within the UK, including demonstrating the strength of feeling from the public, food production and retail sector to end the use of these pesticides."  

Bayer, one of two EU manufacturers of neonicotinoid preparations, has been extremely vocal over the issue, and vehemently denies that its products affect bees.

However, Juliette Williams suggested "I think there is such a strong PR effort from the major agrochemical companies that we need to highlight this as and when it comes to light," though she stated that the campaign's focus is on showing that "truly independent scientific research from across the globe is pointing to a ban as the way forward. The strength of scientific opinion is so great that we firmly believe it will win the day, and that neonicotinoids will be banned."

EJF has previously enjoyed success with campaigns on organochlorine pesticide endosulfan, which was subject to a global ban under the Stockholm convention in April 2011. Ms Williams said, "EJF's work on pesticides dates back to 2000 when we worked in Cambodia to highlight the growing need for better farmer awareness of the potential dangers of chemical pesticides, and to support the traditional and organic alternatives that are financially viable and ecological sustainable."

Although those assembled in London were clearly eager to prevent further losses of pollinators from the UK, it remains to be seen what the latest campaign can deliver; so far, efforts and appeals by the Soil Association, Friends of the Earth and other NGOs have failed to move Mr Paterson. Nevertheless, EJF and PAN UK are urging members of the public to contact Defra and their MPs to support stricter regulations.