Greenpeace report claims traditional English roast dinner contains more than 100 pesticides

According to a new Greenpeace UK report, a traditional English roast dinner may include ingredients treated with up to 102 different pesticides. The report warns that extensive chemical use in agriculture contributes to biodiversity loss and environmental harm.

The report, using 2024 pesticide data from the UK’s Food and Environment Research Agency, found that seven types of vegetables and soft fruits commonly used in Sunday roasts and desserts were treated with numerous chemicals, including seven banned in the European Union. Greenpeace stated that potatoes may have been sprayed with benthiavalicarb, a fungicide banned in the EU due to cancer concerns, and metribuzin, a herbicide linked to endocrine disruption. Strawberries were also treated with chemicals such as clofentezine, dimethomorph, and mepanipyrim, all prohibited in the EU because of potential risks to human and animal hormones.

Greenpeace argued that repeated pesticide use is harming pollinators, birds, butterflies, rivers, and soil ecosystems. Nina Schrank, senior campaigner at Greenpeace UK, stated that the countryside is being “drenched in pesticides” and that farmers are caught in a cycle of chemical dependency. The group urged the UK government to reduce pesticide use, impact, and toxicity by 50% by 2030, realign with EU pesticide standards, ban imports grown with unlicensed chemicals, and expand organic farming.

The UK government’s National Action Plan aims for a 10% reduction in pesticide use by 2030. The National Farmers’ Union defended crop protection products, stating they are among the most heavily regulated chemicals globally and are used only when necessary. The organization warned that crop yields could decrease by up to 50% without pesticides. Guy Singh-Watson, founder of Riverford Organic Farmers, criticized the sector’s reliance on agrochemicals, arguing that current safety assessments do not fully consider the cumulative effects of repeated exposure to multiple chemicals.

A spokesperson for the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said pesticide residue limits in food are subject to “rigorous risk assessments” and apply equally to domestic and imported produce. The department said its national action plan aims to support farmers in adopting more sustainable pest-control practices while protecting food security.

Sources: The Guardian

Key questions about Greenpeace’s pesticide findings in the British roast dinner