Typical English roast dinner potentially drenched' in 102 pesticides, says report

"Data from the Fera pesticide usage survey for 2024, showed 102 including seven banned in the EU were used on seven vegetable and soft fruit categories. Those roast potatoes may have been sprayed with benthiavalicarb, a fungicide banned in the rest of Europe because it causes cancer. They may have also had a sprinkling of metribuzin, a herbicide, banned because its an endocrine disruptor. The carrots may have been treated with the insecticide spirotetramat, whose EU approval has expired and can kill bees and fish."

"Peas are often treated with the herbicide S-metolachlor, which poses risks to mammals and has been implicated in groundwater contamination. And those strawberries may have been doused with clofentezine, dimethomorph and mepanipyrim, all banned in the EU because they have been identified as endocrine disruptors and may have harmful effects on human and animal hormones. Not only were crops sprayed with a range of pesticides, Greenpeace found, many were dosed over and over."

"Our countryside is being drenched in pesticides, with devastating consequences for bees, birds, butterflies, rivers and the soil, said Nina Schrank, a senior campaigner at Greenpeace UK. Fields that once hummed with wildlife are falling silent while agrochemical giants rake in enormous profits and farmers are trapped in a costly cycle of chemical dependency. The extensive use of pesticides is devastating the natural world, according to Greenpeace's report."

A pub roast of vegetables, potatoes, and strawberries may involve produce treated with a large number of pesticides. Data from a 2024 pesticide usage survey indicates 102 pesticides were used across seven vegetable and soft fruit categories, including seven banned in the EU. Roast potatoes may have been sprayed with benthiavalicarb, a fungicide banned in the rest of Europe due to cancer risk, and with metribuzin, a herbicide banned as an endocrine disruptor. Carrots may have been treated with spirotetramat, with expired EU approval and potential harm to bees and fish. Peas may have been treated with S-metolachlor, linked to risks for mammals and groundwater contamination. Strawberries may have been doused with multiple EU-banned endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Crops may also be dosed repeatedly, contributing to declines in bees, birds, butterflies, rivers, and soil.

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