Extracts from committee stage (Lords) (day 3) of the Agriculture Bill - July 14
Wednesday, 15 July 2020 08:10
Baroness Jones of Whitchurch (Lab)...Finally, the amendments in the
name of noble Baronesses, Lady Bennett and Lady Finlay, highlight
the need to reduce the use of herbicides and pesticides. The noble
Baroness, Lady Finlay, in particular, highlighted the potentially
damaging impacts of pesticides on health, and recommended looking
at the evidence and producing an annual report. These views were
echoed powerfully by the noble Lord, Lord Wigley, and the very
moving examples he gave. The noble...Request free trial
(Lab)...Finally,
the amendments in the name of noble Baronesses, Lady Bennett and
Lady Finlay, highlight the need to reduce the use of herbicides and
pesticides. The noble Baroness, Lady Finlay, in particular,
highlighted the potentially damaging impacts of pesticides on
health, and recommended looking at the evidence and producing an
annual report. These views were echoed powerfully by the noble
Lord, , and the very moving
examples he gave. The noble Baroness, Lady Finlay, also rightly
raised the need to avoid contaminated products being imported into
this country. We agree with these objectives and have our own
amendments, Amendment 226 on pesticides and Amendment 173 calling
for a national food plan that addresses the
problem of pesticide residues. I hope that the debates on these
amendments will enable us to set out our position in more
detail...
...These are huge public health issues for the Government, but they
are also matters where a change in farming practice could fuel
better eating habits and lead to a healthier nation. We will not
achieve this by intensifying conventional farming methods, which
would strip out the natural nutrients in the soil and weaken
natural defences to pests and diseases, leading to more artificial
crop protection interventions. This is why—and this has been a
theme throughout our debate—a whole-farm ecological development has
to go hand in hand with generating healthy food. We address the
issues of food security and the need for a national food
plan in later amendments. In the meantime, I commend these
amendments to the House...
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