2023-05-30 04:00:33
Pesticides banned in EU found – Greenpeace demands ban on bee-harmful sprays and strict limit for multiple exposures
Vienna (OTS) – In its market check, the environmental protection organization Greenpeace took a close look at the range of the five most common kitchen herbs in supermarkets, hardware stores and garden centers. In addition, 20 different kitchen herbs from conventional and organic farming were examined in the laboratory for pesticides. The result is shocking: residues of 23 different sprays were detected in the 20 samples. These include the bee killer deltamethrin and the pesticides carbendazim and chloridazon, which are not approved in the EU. Even if all pesticide concentrations were below the respective limit values, the high multiple exposure is alarming: residues of five or more pesticides were found in more than 20 percent of the samples. Greenpeace is calling on Minister of Agriculture Totschnig to significantly reduce the use of pesticides in agriculture and to give up his blocking stance once morest the planned EU regulation.
“It is shocking that even bee-harmful plant toxins have been found on potted herbs. Because flowering herbs attract bees, bumblebees and the like, which then poison them with sprays.” says Melanie Ebner, spokeswoman for agriculture at Greenpeace. Greenpeace also classifies the overall burden from the large number of different pesticides as very worrying, because the interactions of pesticide active ingredients have not yet been sufficiently researched.
To be on the safe side, Greenpeace therefore recommends using organic herbs. Here you can be sure that no chemical-synthetic pesticides are used. As the Greenpeace market check shows, the organic range of herbs in the trade is at least 43 percent. It is disappointing that fresh, chopped herbs in organic quality are not available in any of the retail chains checked and that most of them are not of regional origin. When comparing the assortment of chives, parsley, mint, basil, rosemary and thyme, Hofer and Interspar come out on top in the food trade. While Hornbach is ahead in the DIY stores, Starkl comes out on top in the garden centers.
With the “Sustainable Use Regulation”, the European Commission is now presenting a legislative proposal which, among other things, provides for an EU-wide reduction in the use and risks of chemical pesticides by 50 percent by 2030. “With this legislative proposal, the EU Commission is taking an important first step. Minister of Agriculture Totschnig must abandon his blockade and stop playing off the protection of our biodiversity and agriculture once morest each other. Sustainable agriculture only works with nature, not once morest it,” demands Ebner.
Additional information can be found here: Matching video, image and audio material can be found under this link:
If the credits © Mitja Kobal / Greenpeace are stated, the photos are available for editorial use free of charge. Videos can be used free of charge with the credit © Greenpeace.
Questions & contact:
Melanie Ebner
agriculture spokeswoman
Greenpeace in Austria
Tel.: + 43 (0) 664 4615019
E-Mail: melanie.ebner@greenpeace.org
Réka Tercza
press secretary
Greenpeace in Austria
Tel.: + 43 (0)664 85 74 59 8
Email: reka.tercza@greenpeace.org
1685420131
#Greenpeace #market #check #tested #kitchen #herbs #contaminated #pesticides #BILD #VIDEO
