Reducing pesticides in farming

The way we farm is damaging our climate, our wildlife, our soils and our health. We can solve these interconnected crises by changing the way that we grow food and what we put on our plates.

The overuse of pesticides underpin this current damaging system of farming – they are a major part of what needs to change.

What are pesticides?

Pesticides are chemicals designed to kill insects and other pests (insecticides), fungal diseases (fungicides) and weeds (herbicides). The vast majority are used in farming to grow our food, but they are also used in our parks, schools and even our own gardens.

In farms, they are being used on a vast scale. Farmers have become reliant on them and they’ve found their way into our food, soils, rivers and wildlife.

What's the problem with pesticides?

Scientists increasingly believe there is no safe level of pesticides for humans to be exposed to. Even tiny amounts that the government currently consider are safe, could be damaging to human health.

There is growing evidence that pesticides become more harmful when combined, a phenomenon known as the cocktail effect. Some foods have been found to contain up to 14 different pesticides in a single item. 

A farm could be using dozens of different types of pesticides each year. However, little is known about their combined impact on wildlife and nature.

What's more, what farmers grow and how they grow it have been specifically designed for high pesticide use, aimed at increasing yields and little else. These kinds of conditions increase the need for pesticides. Meanwhile pests and disease can quickly develop resistance, meaning crops must be treated more and more often and new, more potent pesticides are eventually needed.

The result is farmers are trapped on a pesticide treadmill at the mercy of an exploitative system, which is monopolised by only a handful of giant chemical companies that have enormous lobbying power over our government.

What's the solution?

What the government needs to do

The government needs to:

• support UK farmers to transition to whole farm agroecological systems. For example, through payment incentives and putting farmers back in the driving seat when it comes to research and innovation.

• ensure that post-Brexit, there is no lowering of environmental or health standards as a result of any new trade deals, and that any food that we import meets these same standards.

• introduce a clear, quantitative target for significantly reducing the overall use of pesticides in agriculture.

What Soil Association is doing

Soil Association is working hard to reduce pesticides in our food.

We published our Pesticide Cocktail Effect report

The report highlights the fact that multiple pesticides are sprayed on the food we eat and on our countryside without a true understanding of the impact on human health and wildlife. By presenting the evidence and our key asks to government, we aim to influence changes to regulations and the latest National Action Plan on pesticides.

We support farmers to lead on pesticide reduction

Programmes such as our Innovative Farmers enable farmers to trial solutions to their most pressing problems, without the use of pesticides. Currently, less than 1% of agricultural research funding goes straight to farmers. We will call for this to change to at least 10%.

We are modelling an agroecological future

In 2019, the Ten Years for Agroecology in Europe report showed how it would be possible to provide a sufficient and healthy diet to a growing population using ecological farming - without the use of pesticides.

We are producing a UK model, showing how ecological farming can not only feed the population without relying on pesticides, but also tackle climate impacts and wildlife decline.

Find out more about agroecology

What you can do

Support action to reduce pesticides

Your support helps us campaign for stronger protections for bees, wildlife and human health, and push for farming systems that don’t rely on harmful chemicals.

Donate

Choose organic where you can

Organic food is produced without synthetic pesticides. By choosing organic, you’re supporting farmers who work with nature to protect soils, wildlife and water.

Find out more about buying organic

Stand with us for a pesticide-free future

By becoming a Soil Association member, you help drive change at every level - working with farmers on the ground, campaigning with communities, and influencing policy in Parliament.

Become a member