the Co-operative Party are quite fond of bees. But bees are more than just a symbol of the co-operative movement: they’re essential to our food systems, our environment and our climate.
That’s why last year, thousands of our members and supporters urged Boris Johnson to halt plans to use a banned bee-killing pesticide in England. We won, and the plans to use bee-killing pesticides on 2021 crops were shelved.
But now, once again, bees are under threat. The Government have just announced plans to again give “emergency authorisation” to allow bee-killing pesticides to be used on sugar beet crops this year.
That’s why, in my role both as the Shadow Environment Secretary and Chair of the Co-operative Party, I’m writing to the Environment Secretary to call on the Government to stop plans to use these dangerous pesticides and protect our vital British bee population.
Bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides were banned across Europe in 2018 – but since then we’ve seen a pattern of repeated “emergency authorisations” which are used to subvert the ban.
The Government should be supporting farmers to use sustainable methods that protect our pollinators and protect our planet – but instead the Government are using this loophole to make short-term decisions that will harm farmers and our food chain in the long term.
A healthy bee population is essential to the future of our planet. Co-signing this letter will take just a few seconds, but could help sustain pollinators and our food chain for generations to come.
Jim McMahon OBE MP 