East Midlands MEP supports local farmers in opposing pesticide ban

East Midlands Conservative MEP Emma McClarkin has called for the continuing use of glyphosate ahead of Tuesday’s vote in the European Parliament on objecting to renewing its approval, saying that failing to renew the approval could have a ‘devastating’ impact on the region’s farmers.

Glyphosate, a plant protection product, is authorised across all Member States and widely used in the farming industry. As a product, it is subject to strict regulation and is only allowed to be used on the basis that there are no detrimental effects on human health or unacceptable risks to the environment.

Miss McClarkin said:

“Glyphosate is crucial to farmers across the UK and Europe and has met the standards required to be approved for use. We must continue to support our farmers as they compete in the global market.”

Miss McClarkin has been in regular contact with East Midlands-based farmer, Andrew Pitts, who said:

“If Glyphosate is banned then it will put farmers at a massive competitive disadvantage; lead to a decline in our farmland and increase our carbon footprint. The worst-case scenario could see us importing goods from overseas that use products that have been banned in the European Union.”

Miss McClarkin added:

“Glyphosate helps our farmers grow produce at the rate and size needed to compete in global markets, and any move to remove this valuable tool would lead to a large loss of yield for arable and horticultural crops, which could devastate farming in the East Midlands. I will therefore oppose any objection to renewing the approval of glyphosate.”

Following the vote to approve Glyphosate, East Midlands Conservative MEP Emma McClarkin said:

“Whilst I am pleased that the approval of Glyphosate has been renewed, I am very concerned that political scaremongering is setting a dangerous precedent, in which the scientific rigour of the European Food Safety Authority is being challenged.

“This scaremongering has meant that Glyphosate has only been renewed for 7 years, rather than the proposed 15 years.

“Glyphosate is the world’s most widely-used weed killer, and is absolutely vital to farmers here in the East Midlands. Those who are scaremongering are playing political games, seemingly without caring that they are putting at risk our entire agricultural sector – as well as the livelihoods of our farmers.”