Brits say no to US pesticides

A large majority of the British public are concerned about the health and environmental impact of pesticides whose use could be permitted under a new trade deal with the US.

A survey by the NGOs Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK) and Sustain found that 71% of people want the UK Government to resist US attempts to overturn bans on pesticides, even if this means the best trade deal cannot be reached.

The same percentage were concerned that a trade deal with the US would increase the amount of pesticides in the food they consume; 79% were concerned about impacts to health if the government caves to US pressure to lower pesticide standards; and 77% said they were worried about negative impacts on the environment.

The findings accompanied a new report highlighting how a rise in exposure to hazardous chemicals could be unavoidable for UK consumers because pesticides are not mentioned on food labels.

Many pesticides routinely used in US food production are banned from use in the UK, with an increasing body of evidence linking pesticides to serious diseases such as cancer and Parkinson’s.

The NGOs gave the example of the pesticide chlorpyrifos which has been shown to negatively affect the cognitive development of foetuses and young children and is banned from use in the UK but is used by farmers in the US and India.

The report warns that in the wake of the UK’s exit from the EU, trade deals currently under negotiation with the US, and planned imminently for Australia and India, will drive down UK pesticide standards.

“Much attention has been paid to the dangers of ‘chlorinated chicken’, but the UK public is equally concerned about weakening pesticide protections,” said Josie Cohen, head of policy and campaigns at Pesticide Action Network. “We know that US negotiators have our pesticide standards firmly in their sights, and with the talks happening behind closed doors the public has no way of knowing if health and environmental protections are being traded away.”

The UK Government has been sending out mixed signals regarding its commitment to maintaining standards as part of future trade deals. Environment secretary George Eustice and international trade secretary Liz Truss wrote a joint letter to MPs this week reaffirming a Conservative manifesto commitment to uphold the UK’s environmental, food safety and animal welfare standards outside the EU. However, an amendment to the trade bill guaranteeing a level playing field for imported food under the terms of any future trade agreement was recently voted down by MPs.