On Wednesday (28th November), representatives of the global agribusinesses that produce controversial chemicals thought to be behind declines in the number of insect pollinators across the world will go before the government’s Environmental Audit Committee. The industry representatives will face questioning over the contribution of their chemicals to declines in pollinator numbers, most prominent amongst which is the 'decline of the bees.'

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Bee numbers are plummeting across Europe and the United States, although chemical manufacturers have said that disease and the encroachment of humans into bees’ natural habitat is to blame for the declines, a number of peer-reviewed scientific studies released this year have linked the declines to the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.

This worrying connection has led to bans and tighter regulation of the chemicals in Germany, France and Italy. Campaigners, backed by scientists in UK institutions including the University of Reading and London’s Royal Holloway, have called for a ban on the chemicals until their effects on the environment are known for sure. In May, EU food safety watchdog EFSA called for stricter testing of agricultural chemicals after identifying several "weaknesses" in current testing methods, which researchers said could lead to the approval of chemicals that are harmful to insect pollinators.

MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee, which oversees and evaluates government policy in terms of its sustainability and environmental impact, is holding an “inquiry [which] will examine the effect of systemic neonicotinoid pesticides on pollinators.” The inquiry was launched in September after Defra elected not to change its policy on agricultural chemicals, despite the increasing weight of evidence that certain chemicals may be doing harm to essential pollinators.

In particular, the Committee said it "will consider Defra's policy and regulations on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides in the light of the available evidence on the impact of such pesticides on pollinators." On Wednesday 21st November, the director of insect conservation society Buglife told MPs on the EAC that 33 scientific studies have linked the chemicals with damage to insect populations since 2009.

Committee members will speak to representatives of chemical companies, as well as Defra ministers, over alleged conflicts of interest, a lack of transparency in the pesticide approvals process and claims that current risk assessment methods are outdated. EAC chair Joan Walley has been highly critical of the government’s approach to pesticide regulation; she said, "The government claims it is adopting a precautionary approach to protect bees and other pollinators, while at the same time demanding 'unequivocal' evidence before taking action."

Luke Gibbs, spokesperson for Swiss-based agribusiness Syngenta, said of the inquiry, "What concerns us deeply is that this is a committee that is looking at a single variable in a multi variable issue. By looking at one factor in bee decline, they are not looking at factors such as loss of habitat and weather conditions." He criticised studies which established a link between pesticides and damaging effects on pollinators for not being 'field-based,' though independent experts have assured that results from lab based studies are equally valid.

In response to calls to ban the chemicals, industry voices, including chemical companies and the NFU, have warned that tighter restrictions on neonicotinoids will lead to more pressure on farmers to use GM crops or older, more damaging pesticides; both scenarios from which the agchem industry would benefit. However, campaigners from the Pesticide Action Network have pointed out that Italy’s ban has resulted in nothing of the sort, with no demonstrable adverse effects for farmers, and that encouraging natural predators, as well as rolling out other agroecological measures, would provide benefits for farmers, the environment and wider society.

An EFSA review into pesticide regulation and the possible effects of the chemicals on pollinators is expected to be completed early next year.  

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