Progress on pesticides in most major supermarket chains

The UK’s ten largest supermarkets continue to use neonicotinoids and other highly bee-toxic pesticides in their global supply chains, according to new research. 

PAN UK ranked supermarkets on six areas aimed at tackling harmful pesticides. These included the support offered to suppliers to adopt non-chemical alternatives and efforts to phase out chemicals that pose a particular risk to farmworkers’ health. Transparency was another factor in the ranking.

Marks and Spencer and Waitrose were commended for their work in “leading the way” and were among four chains (alongside Coop and Morrisons) who all publish detailed results from their pesticide residue testing programmes.

Morrisons and Asda each improved their rank by one spot while Sainsbury’s and Lidl both dropped a place, largely due to other supermarkets “moving further and faster”, according to PAN UK. Most supermarkets have made progress since PAN UK’s previous supermarket ranking in 2021.

Aldi and Iceland were however singled out and criticised. Iceland for example is the only one of the UK’s largest 10 supermarkets to not have a list of pesticides that are particularly harmful for human health or the environment and which they monitor, restrict or prohibit from use within their global supply chains. 

“With their sprawling supply chains, supermarkets have the potential to influence efforts to tackle pesticides, not only in the UK but globally,” said Josie Cohen from the campaign group.

Neonicotinoids and many other bee-toxic pesticides are banned in the UK and EU. The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has launched an investigation into Defra’s emergency authorisation of a neonicotinoid pesticide in 2023 and 2024.  

The investigation is seeking to determine whether there were serious failures to comply with a number of environmental laws in relation to emergency authorisations granted for the use of Cruiser SB on sugar beet seeds.  

The investigation, prompted by a complaint from law firm Client Earth, is considering Defra’s interpretation and application of the precautionary principle and compliance with its nature conservation obligations when it considers granting emergency authorisations.  

“If supermarkets want to protect food supplies and reduce their impact on nature, they should commit to ending the use of all highly bee-toxic pesticides throughout their global supply chains by 2030 at the very latest,” Cohen said.