This is big news: Michael Gove’s had a change of heart -- the Environment Secretary has come out in support of extending the EU ban on bee harming pesticides.

But with the government’s recent 25-year environment plan failing to set any concrete targets to reduce our dependence on all pesticides, we need Gove’s warm words to become real action.

In a recent poll we found that a whopping 78% of people want to see the government support farmers to reduce pesticide use. So it’s time that Michael Gove puts his money where his mouth is, and includes a clear pesticide reduction target in the government’s upcoming agriculture bill. Let’s make sure he gets the message.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove: include a quantitative pesticide reduction target in the Agriculture Bill, and support farmers to reduce pesticide use!

Last year, UN experts branded the idea that pesticides are necessary to feed the world a myth -- one that is furthered by agrochemical giants through heavy marketing and government lobbying. We are now working with Pesticide Action Network UK -- which has been fighting these corporations for more than three decades -- to put an end to hazardous pesticide use.

The UK wouldn’t be the first country to adopt targets to reduce our reliance on pesticide use. Denmark pledged to reduce pesticide use by 40% in 2011 and is well on the way to meeting that goal. France is working to reduce its pesticide use by half, and in 2015 China set a goal for zero increased pesticide use by 2020.

Michael Gove: include a quantitative pesticide reduction target in your upcoming agriculture bill!

Michael Gove has repeatedly pledged to deliver a ‘green Brexit’, and said he wants to reward farmers for environmentally friendly practices. But in order to do that he needs to step up and put forward some concrete proposals -- including a target to reduce pesticide use.

By cutting our use of pesticides, we’ll still be able to grow the crops we need, but keep harmful chemicals out of our parks and food -- and see a return to flourishing biodiversity.

Michael Gove is busy writing his new plans now, and you can bet that the giant pesticide corporations like Bayer and Monsanto are working hard to protect their interests. So we need to make sure he gets our message even more loudly and clearly.

Michael Gove: include a quantitative pesticide reduction target in your upcoming agriculture bill!

Together we’ve made huge strides towards ridding the world of neonic pesticides. Canada is considering a ban on one of the industry’s most popular neonicotinoids, and France has decided to completely ban neonics this year. And let’s not forget that Gove’s u-turn on neonics comes after years of campaigning to protect the bees by SumOfUs members like you.

Even the National Farmers Union took notice of our polling and has rushed to reassure the public that it wants to keep pesticide use to a minimum.

We have an enormous opportunity to protect our environment for the future. But for that to happen we need to come together now to push for real action to reduce our dependence on dangerous pesticides. The momentum is on our side -- let’s make it count.

We're working in partnership with Pesticide Action Network UK on this campaign. 

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