FOOD 2050

Europarl TV have just produced an interesting TV report, debating Europe’s pesticides and legislation.

Aspects of UK pesticides policy in the UK will require reconsideration after Mr Justice Collins allowed an application in the High Court from campaigner Georgina Downs for a review of current policy. She has argued that exposure to crop chemicals caused illness.

At the European Voice event we recently attended (see our previous entry) we had a short chat with Mr Otmar Weingarten, who is Managing Director of the the Verband Deutscher Hopfenpflanzer, the Association of German Hop Growers. Mr Weingarten spoke about: the yield and quality reductions that German hop growers (who account for a third of global production) might face if the revision of the current pesticides regulation, Directive 91/414, is passed; the grave threat posed by the hop aphid on yields in Germany; and the viability of organic methods.

A frequently expressed concern is that the main potential losers from the proposed changes in pesticide rules might be various fruits and vegatables such as peas, cabbages and carrots.  The relatively small volumes of production might not justify the commercial effort to find replacement products. Although customarily referred to as ‘minor uses’ of plant protection products, they are important components of a healthy diet. Less well off consumers might particularly be affected by an increase in their price as a result of reduced availability of supply.