Research by Buglife shows flying insect populations (measured by splats on car number plates) have declined by 65% between 2021 and 2024 in Scotland, with similar trends in other parts of the UK. Insects are a vital food source for many other creatures, and the crash in insect and other invertebrate populations – driven by pesticides, habitat loss, intensive farming and climate change – is affecting many of our ecosystems.
In January this year the UK government finally rejected the use of highly toxic neonicotinoid (neonics) pesticides for emergency application on sugar beet. Just five maize seeds treated with neonics are enough to kill a grey partridge. Now, the UK Government has launched the UK Pesticides National Action Plan, which sets out how the Government will provide support for farmers, growers and other land managers to use fewer pesticides. It says it wants to help growers embrace “nature-friendly farming techniques and alternative measures to reduce potential harm from pesticides by 10% by 2030, while controlling pests and pesticide resistance effectively”. Environmental groups have broadly welcomed the Plan, while noting that there is still a long way to go to reduce the harmful impacts of pesticides on our wildlife in agriculture and gardening.