Europe was going to halve pesticide use - what happened?

2023 was expected to be a big year for Europe in reducing harm from agrochemicals. But in a surprise move in November, European Parliament rejected a law to halve pesticide use. That same month, The European Commission stated it would renew the controversial approval of glyphosate for another 10 years.

What happened?

Alasdair talks to Dr Martin Dermine, Executive Director of Pesticide Action Network Europe, about why EU regulation of agrochemicals is moving so slowly.

Further reading: 

• 'Glyphosate, the active ingredient in the weedkiller Roundup, is showing up in pregnant women', The Conversation, December 2023
• 'EU Commission hosts a secret 3-day meeting with the pesticide industry as their exclusive guest', Pesticide Action Network, December 2023
• 'Green Deal is dead', Pesticide Action Network, November 2023
• 'Beneath the orange fields: Impact of Glyphosate on soil organisms', Pesticide Action Network, November 2023
• 'Conservative backlash kills off EU’s Green Deal push to slash pesticide use', Politico, November 2023
• 'EU to renew herbicide glyphosate approval for 10 years', Reuters, November 2023
• 'Long-term evidence for ecological intensification as a pathway to sustainable agriculture', Nature Sustainability, 2022
• Listen to our previous episodes on Monsanto, EU lobbying, and Neonics.

Click here to read our investigation into the UK biomass supply chain, or watch a clip from the BBC Newsnight documentary.