Neonicotinoid seed treatments will be banned if Labour forms the next government, according to a leaked draft of the party’s manifesto.
The seed treatments have been blamed for declining bee populations – although crop protection companies and farm leaders dispute the assertion.
Environmentalists say the chemicals cause untold damage – but many growers say the chemicals offer vital protection against pests such as cabbage stem flea beetle in crops such as oilseed rape.
Details of Labour’s leaked draft manifesto were published by the media on Thursday (11 May). An official version of the document is expected later.
Neonicotinoid seed treatments on flowering crops such as oilseed rape are already subject to an EU moratorium, which is currently being reviewed by Brussels.
A decision on whether to extend the moratorium is expected later [2017].
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: Labour manifesto ‘pledges to ban neonicotinoids’
