STAND BY BEES
The campaign to cut the use of hazardous pesticides in the UK and protect our bees, businesses and countryside
#StandByBees is a campaign to cut the use of hazardous pesticides and promote nature-friendly farming in the UK, to protect our pollinators, businesses and the British countryside.
Excessive pesticide use is killing our bees and other essential insect species that we rely on for a healthy, safe and clean environment. The numbers of insects are in significant decline around the world, with recent research showing that in the UK alone, flying insects have declined by nearly 60% in less than 20 years.
Pollinators are absolutely vital to growing the foods we eat every day, producing the products we love and maintaining our delicate ecosystem. A single teaspoon of neonicotinoid, a type of pesticide widely used on crops for many years, is enough to deliver a lethal dose to 1.25 billion bees.
In 2018, the UK government banned neonicotinoid pesticides due to the harmful impact they were having on bees and other pollinators. Yet, in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 the government acted to authorise their emergency use on crops, against the advice of its own scientific advisors and despite the risks this posed.
Many businesses in the UK also rely on a healthy pollinator population to uphold the high standards of their products.
We are working to raise the profile of Stand By Bees and the issues the campaign represents, in parliament and the media.
The best way to support Stand By Bees is the write to your local MP and share the campaign on social media.
What we want
We’re calling on the government to set a clear target to reduce both the overall amount of pesticides used and the toxicity of those pesticides. This needs to be accompanied by support for British farmers to adopt proven nature-friendly and regenerative methods such as integrated pest management, to protect agricultural production, food security, and soil health.
Today we have the opportunity to create a more sustainable farming industry that leads by example, supports nature, and, for the sake of future generations, doesn’t cost the earth.
We have to act now! Write to your MP and share on social media to show your support.
#StandByBees
