New EU pesticide legislation double food prices

The price of some of the country's most staple foods could double because of European Union legislation to cut the use of pesticides.

Scientists and farmers in Britain, and across Europe, have attacked EU proposals, backed by the European Parliament today, to reduce the amount of chemicals used to protect crops.

The EU plans to reduced the use of pesticides by 85 per cent by 2013 because the chemicals are harmful to the environment and could be dangerous to health.

However, critics say that it will mean farmers will produce less and as a result the cost of foods such as potatoes, broccoli, bread, milk and pork will rise.

Sir Colin Berry, Emeritus Professor of Pathology at Queen Mary College, has attacked the EU plans to reduce the pesticides used by farmers by 85 per cent.

"The costs of implementing this legislation will be high - crop yields will fall, food prices will rise, more land will have to be farmed and fewer habitats conserved," he said.

"It is hard to imagine what the benefits will be. The idea of chemical-free farming is absurd and dangerous."
British research by Cranfield University, carried out for the European Crop Protection Association has found that the new EU legislation will double the price of cereals, potatoes and brassicas, broccoli, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts.

This would push the average price for a 1kg bag from ￡1 to ￡2.

"The proposed legislation could put another 10 per cent on the annual rate of food inflation," concluded the study.

If the legislation, set to enter force in 2013, is implemented the price of a standard British loaf would rise by around nine pence, a litre of milk would increase by three pence and a kilogramme of pork would rise by 40 pence.

Meurig Raymond, Deputy President of the National Farmers Union, has criticised EU definitions of hazardous chemicals that are so strict that beer or wine would be banned across Europe as a spray for plants.

"With food security now making political headlines, it is not the time to start banning the very tools which make food production possible across the EU," he said.

Robert Sturdy, a Conservative Euro-MP, is urging his colleagues in the European Parliament to block the proposals during a vote next month.

"This legislation threatens already hard pressed consumers who are now even more likely to see their monthly food bill go up," he said.

"With the current worries over food prices and food security it seems absurd that MEPs are voting on these proposals without the benefit of an impact assessment to make a more informed decision."

But Caroline Lucas, a British Green MEP and a member of the environment committee making the pesticide proposals, insisted "human health must be given better protection".

"With today's vote, MEPs have rejected industry scaremongering, and sent a clear message that they want to see a reduction in the use of dangerous pesticides," she said.

"A record level of pesticides are being found in food items sold in the EU, with almost half of all fruit, vegetables and cereals containing pesticide residues."