Sowing confusion

摘要

Amid growing evidence that neonicotinoid pesticides harm bees, in 2013 the European Commission announced a moratorium on their use on crops that attract these insects. The UK was in the minority of countries voting against. Perhaps the government was swayed by glossy reports funded by the agrochemical industry, declaring that the ban would slash crop yields and cause huge job losses. One such document states that if the moratorium went ahead, in five years the European Union could lose at least €17 billion, 50,000 jobs could go, and "more than a million people engaged in arable production… would certainly suffer".