The Government has been accused of “putting the needs of commerce ahead of the needs of bees” as it emerges that pesticide manufacturers will fund crucial research examining the impact of their controversial chemicals. The criticism comes as a committee of MPs warns that the research may not be independent because of its links to the industry. The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which has been hit by budget cuts, is no longer able “to deliver its environmental protection obligations” by funding the work itself and is instead reliant on industry cash, according to a critical report from the Environmental Audit Committee. Research that is supposed to determine whether the pesticides are indeed harmful to bees may therefore be susceptible to “commercial, rather than scientific” priorities, it warns. The controversy relates to the use of three “neonicotinoid” pesticides that studies have linked to serious harm to the species and environmentalists say are leading to a decline in bee numbers across Europe.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 14:16:13 +0000
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