Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir has welcomed the publication of the UK Pesticides National Action Plan 2025.
The action plan sets out how the governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England will work with farmers, growers, and other land managers to minimise the impacts of pesticides on people and the environment.
It is the first UK pesticides action plan since 2013.
The plan’s core goals are to:
- Set clear targets and measures to monitor the use of pesticides;
- Encourage uptake of integrated pest management principles;
- Strengthen compliance and promote good practice.
Minister Muir said: “The plan recognises that pesticides have a key role to play in our agriculture and amenity industries.
“It is important that pesticide users have the tools to ensure a sustainable supply of food, safeguard natural landscapes from native and invasive pests and maintain transport infrastructure and amenity areas,” he added.
“However, the use of pesticides must be carefully managed and controlled to make sure that they do not pose a risk to human and animal health and that there are no adverse environmental impacts on water quality and biodiversity.”
The Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) said pesticide resistance, climate change, and invasive species pose significant challenges to food security, the management of natural landscapes and maintenance of transport infrastructure and amenity areas.
The plan sets out how people who use pesticides will be supported to increase their use of more nature friendly approaches to pest management and embrace alternative measures to reduce the potential harm from pesticides by 10% by 2030, while controlling pests and pesticide resistance effectively.
The Department of Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it was committed to reducing the risks of pesticides, and that it is a priority for all four governments to promote sustainable use, whilst ensuring farmers have the tools they need to manage pests.
DAERA said by using nature-based solutions and alternative techniques, farmers can better safeguard crops for the long-term, helping to cut down expenditure on pesticides, and contributing towards greater productivity.
