Viewpoint: UK bans neonic pesticides, then imports neonic-treated crops at expense of its farmers

The key parts of any fully integrated [pest] management system are the building blocks which are integral to a balanced system. If you remove one of these foundation stones, then the whole thing will come tumbling down.

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In the main arable areas oilseed rape has been a cornerstone of the rotation but now, primarily due to decisions made by our politicians [to ban neonicotinoid seed treatments] , the crop has become incredibly risky ….

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[T]he decision made within the EU and supported by [the UK] government hasn’t and can’t be enforced on the products we are importing. Therefore ….  we simply import material …. that has been treated with the exact products that are banned in the EU. This is beyond hypocrisy and makes my blood boil.

I then move on to another part of the rotation: the legumes …. Unfortunately we have hypocrisy at play here as well because as a country we are highly reliant on imported proteins, primarily soya, that are grown using neonicotinoids (banned in the UK), are likely to be genetically modified (banned in the UK) will have been sprayed off with reglone or paraquat (both banned in the UK) ….

Read full, original article: Arable Farming: Hypocrisy in play in crop rotation conundrum