Illegal pesticides pose serious risk to food businesses

The Watch Out campaign is designed to raise awareness within the UK’s food supply chain about the growing threat that illegal pesticide use poses to consumers in terms of food safety as well as potential damage to the environment and the livelihoods of farmers, if they are found guilty.

The campaign was launched at a meeting organised by the Crop Protection Association in London. It is supported by The Voluntary Initiative (VI) – a body set up to promote responsible pesticide use and minimise their environmental impact – and Red Tractor Assurance. It also has the backing of the National Farmers Union (NFU).

Imported in bulk from China​

According to Patrick Goldsworthy, who set up the VI, the pesticides are often imported to the EU in bulk from China before being repackaged by criminal gangs in Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Baltic states and Balkans. They are then sold to unsuspecting farmers or others prepared to buy cheap products without checking their provenance.

Goldsworthy claimed that as much as seven to 10% of all pesticides used in the EU were illegal, rising to 25% in some Members States. While Europol estimates the global market for counterfeit and illegal pesticides is about $6bn a year, David Stuart, anti-counterfeit leader at pesticide supplier Dow Agrosciences, who is also involved with the European Crop Protection Association, suspected it to be much higher and put the figure nearer to $10bn.

While the problem is believed to be much less in the UK – estimates put the figure at less than 1% – the trouble is, nobody really knows its true extent. The fear is that with big profits to made by criminals and minimal risk for them, the problem is likely to grow.

“In terms of importance in the UK, we believe that it is the illegal imports ​[of untested products] – people passing off one product as another – that is causing the major risk,” ​said Goldsworthy. He noted that there were cases currently under investigation by the authorities. “We need to stop this happening; we need to stamp it out,”​ he added. “Our objective is to raise awareness up and down the supply chain ​… if we become complacent, it will become a bigger issue.”​

Operation Silo​

In response to fears that organised crime could moving into supplying illegal pesticides in the UK, Thames Valley Police has also launched an initiative called Operation Silo in an attempt to gather intelligence and ascertain the extent of the problem here.

There is also the concern that foods imported into the UK might also have been treated with illegal pesticides. Sarah Dawson, chairman of the NFU’s National Board for Horticulture & Potatoes, referred to a major incident in Germany in 2006 where peppers from southern Spain were found to be contaminated with illegal pesticides. This incident resulted in serious problems and loss of supermarket business for the companies involved, which took them several years to recover from, she said.