British roast dinner hit with cocktail of more than 100 pesticides, Greenpeace warns

Roast dinners, which feature a full plate of meat and vegetables covered in gravy, are a staple of British cuisine, but new research suggests much of the produce plated may be covered in pesticides that are harmful to our health and environment.

New analysis from Greenpeace has revealed more than 100 pesticides have been sprayed on vegetables destined for a classic Sunday lunch. The environmental campaign group examined data from the Food and Environmental Research Agency’s (FERA) Pesticide Use Survey, which covers all the vegetables associated with a roast dinner, followed by strawberries as a classic British dessert.

Greenpeace has called on the government to halve the use of pesticides and fertilizers in British farming by 2030; This rate is well above the current target of 10 percent. They added that the government should support farmers in reducing dependence on chemical inputs and impose restrictions on the use of pesticides in public spaces and homes.

Analysis revealed that onions and leeks were treated with 43 different pesticides, while carrots and parsnips were treated with 40 different pesticides. Field potatoes are treated with 31 pesticides, peas are treated with slightly less than 29, and swedes and turnips are treated with 20 pesticides. Five pesticides are applied to potatoes stored in winter.

Strawberry, the most popular fruit of summer, is treated with 42 different drugs.

Seven of the 102 pesticides used are already banned in the EU due to their links to cancer and endocrine disruption in humans, as well as the risk they pose to bees, birds, mammals and aquatic ecosystems.

Dimethomorph, sprayed on strawberries and onions, has been banned in the EU on the grounds that it is “toxic to reproduction”, while Benthiavalicarb, used on potatoes, has been banned due to evidence that it is carcinogenic.

Eight of the nine most commonly used pesticides are classified as Highly Hazardous Pesticides that are toxic to humans or wildlife; three of these are classified as persistent chemicals, which are synthetic chemicals that can have harmful effects in humans, including cancer, depending on the amount of exposure.

Greenpeace UK senior campaigner Nina Schrank said the number of pesticides used in British agriculture could worsen food security.

“Sunday roast and strawberries may sound like one of the most natural and traditional British dishes imaginable, but behind the scenes they’re produced using a surprising cocktail of pesticides,” he said.

“Our countryside is being inundated with pesticides, with devastating consequences for bees, birds, butterflies, rivers and soil. Areas once teeming with wildlife fall silent, while pesticide giants make huge profits and farmers are trapped in a costly cycle of chemical dependency. This doesn’t strengthen food security, it makes it more fragile.

“Farmers are also under huge pressure from rising costs, climate shocks and unstable markets, but some are already showing there is another way. They are reducing pesticide use and producing food as well as helping wildlife. If the government is serious about restoring nature and ensuring food security, it must properly support farmers and commit to halving pesticide use by 2030.”

The government has committed to reducing pesticides by 10 percent by 2030 as part of the Pesticides National Action Plan. Part of this plan encourages growers to take a holistic and sustainable approach to preventing pests, including crop rotation, encouraging natural predators and breeding pest-resistant varieties.

A Defra spokesman said: “We impose strict limits on pesticide residue levels in food, determined following strict risk assessments, to ensure it is safe for consumers. These limits apply to both domestically produced and imported food from other countries.

“Our UK National Action Plan, published last year, sets out how we will support farmers, growers and other land managers to increase their use of sustainable practices to reduce potential harm from pesticides, while effectively controlling pests and pesticide resistance and protecting food security.”