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<p>The UK is a world leader in developing greener farming practises and upholds the
highest standards of environmental and health protection. Our first priority is to
ensure pesticides have no unacceptable effects on the environment and no harmful effects
on human health.</p><p> </p><p>The authorisation of pesticide products, including
those containing neonicotinoid active substances, is based on a detailed and robust
scientific risk assessment. This is carried out by the regulator, the Health and Safety
Executive (HSE), using studies and information provided by the applicant to address
the extensive data requirements. The regulatory process is constantly updated so that
it advances with scientific knowledge, and pesticides are reviewed regularly to ensure
that they meet the latest standards. HSE’s assessment includes consideration of what
happens to a pesticide after it is applied. This includes determining whether it breaks
down, its persistence and mobility in soil and water, as well as effects on a range
of non-target organisms.</p><p> </p><p>Linking pesticide usage directly to changes
in both managed and wild pollinator populations remains challenging because of the
range of pressures which affect pollinators, such as habitat loss and climate change,
in addition to the complexities of assessing and attributing pesticide usage and risk
to impacts.</p><p> </p><p>However, research suggests that the EU moratorium on the
use of neonicotinoid (thiamethoxam, clothianidin, imidacloprid) seed treatments on
mass-flowering crops in 2013 was effective at reducing exposure of honeybees to these
pesticides over the subsequent years.</p><p> </p><p>We have funded research into the
exposure of honeybees to pesticides, both over time and at national scale, through
chemical analysis of pesticide residues found in honey samples. Using genetic techniques,
such as DNA metabarcoding, this research can assess the plants foraged by exposed
bees and highlight common pesticide exposure routes for this key pollinator species.
We expect the results of this work to be published in the coming months.</p><p> </p><p>We
are also funding research exploring how we could further develop our monitoring to
better understand the effects, and the impacts, of pesticides on pollinators, such
as expanding residue assessments to include wild pollinator species of bumblebees
and solitary bees.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, Defra is developing a Pesticide Load
Indicator which takes account of both the chemical properties of pesticides used and
the weight applied. This uses pesticide usage data, ecotoxicity and environmental
data to better understand how the pressure from pesticides on the environment, including
bees, has changed over time. Much of this research will be published this year.</p>
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