Head of Farming Policy Gareth Morgan said: "The government has ignored scientific evidence and abandoned their own commitment to protect our pollinators for the third year running. The UK's approval for emergency use of bee-harming neonicotinoids came just days after the EU banned this course of action, in recognition of the harm they are proven to cause our vital pollinators – and the threat that poses to everyone's future. It is inexcusable to see England falling so far behind the EU on regulations in place to prevent such a detrimental impact on biodiversity.

"It is not credible to claim an exemption is temporary or emergency when it is used year after year. How many years will bans of these harmful chemicals be overridden? If the government is serious about halting biodiversity loss by 2030, they must support farmers to explore long-term, agroecological solutions that do not threaten our endangered bee population or other wildlife. Neonicotinoids simply have no place in a sustainable farming system, and farmers need support and guidance to end reliance on them."

The Soil Association also calls for:

• Better support for nature-based solutions taking a "whole-farm" approach via the Environmental Land Management Scheme and Sustainable Farming Incentives.
• More investment in farmer-led research, practical advice, and peer-to-peer learning for farmers to adopt agroecological practices that work with nature not against it. Farmers need more trials like the Innovative Farmers field lab using flowers to attract predatory insects as pest control.
• Government action to spark a shift to more diverse, agroecological farming systems like agroforestry which can provide a habitat for nature, encouraging predatory insects as pest control.

Read more on this from an agroecological farmer: Why are insects in decline, and what can farmers do about it? (soilassociation.org)