Says Copa-Cogeca
'Neonics ban disastrous for EU agriculture'
A total ban on the use of the insecticide neonicontinoids is disastrous for the entire agricultural sector in Europe. That statement comes from producer organization Copa-Cogeca. On Tuesday 27 June, it is organizing a meeting in Brussels to secure the future of neonics.
On 1 December 2013, the European Commission banned the insecticide neonicontinoids in the EU. It concerns three active substances that are used for seed coating. This is especially the case with rapeseed. At the end of March, the EC proposed a definitive ban on the neonic insecticides Imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam. According to Copa Cogeca such a decision is disastrous for agriculture. Yields may be severely affected by such a decision.
Balance between agriculture and environment
On Tuesday 27 June, Copa-Cogeca is organizing a meeting in Brussels, together with the Polish Federation of Agricultural Producers (FBZPR). Delegations discussed the impact, when a total ban would come into force and how to strike a balance within the EU between crop production and environmental protection.
All crops affected
According to Marian Sikora, affiliated with FBZPR, a total ban means that the cultivation of sugar beets, potatoes, grains, vegetables and fruit will be virtually impossible due to a lack of insecticide. Sikora: “There is also no proven benefit for the health of the bees. We call on the EC to find a balance between sustainable agriculture and protecting nature.”
10% less rapeseed
Copa-Cogeca chairman Max Schulman presents a study of the organization, which looked at the effect of the neonic ban. For this, data from 6 countries was used. Due to the lack of a seed coating, the rapeseed area has decreased by 10% since 2013, and the costs for the farmer have increased. “As a result, growers are spraying more to protect their crops,” he explains. A total ban will also affect the emergence of precision agriculture, because this technique is looking for site-specific control at the right time.”
The British Humboldt Forum for Food and Agriculture has previously conducted research into the effect of the ban. She estimated that the ban will cost the European agricultural sector 576 million euros per year.
10
procent
Devastating Consequences
Graeme Taylor, head of public affairs at the European Crop Protection Agency, said at the meeting that a total ban would have devastating consequences. “Not only for European farmers, but also for food safety and the future of agriculture. Nature and biodiversity are also affected, while bee health does not benefit from it. Crops need bees, but bees need crops too.”
European Bee Partnership
The bees, which are all about it, are a controversial topic. One organization says they are getting better and better. The other speaks of a population decline due to plant protection products. Work is now underway within the EU on the 'European bee partnership', which should bring together all research into bees in the EU.
That is the main outcome of the science meeting being organized in Brussels this week. The main focus is on collecting and pooling data to better assess the health of the European bee population. 120 organizations are affiliated with the partnership.
Niels van der Boom
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