Time’s up! Minister urged to help sugar farmers go neonic-free and honour ban as deadline approaches to end reliance on bee-harming chemicals.

The Government, for the second year running, has allowed for a banned bee-harming pesticide to be used by sugar beet farmers in England, threatening our precious pollinators.

Today’s announcement that a banned neonicotinoid will not be used on sugar beet is good news – but does not halt the risk to wildlife in future years.

Emergency authorisation was refused in 2018 – what’s changed?

The Government has bowed to pressure from the National Farmers Union and agreed to authorise the use of the highly damaging neonicotinoid thiamethoxam for the treatment of sugar beet seed in 2021…