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Written question asked by Cat Smith (Labour) on Thursday, 25 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 29 June 2026. It was answered by Emma Hardy (Labour) on Wednesday, 1 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Fertilisers and Pesticides

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of pesticides and synthetic fertiliser on the level of nature depletion.

Answer

In March 2025, Defra, alongside the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive, published the UK Pesticides National Action Plan (NAP). The NAP includes a UK domestic target to reduce the potential environmental harm from pesticides by at least 10% by 2030, as measured by our Pesticide Load Indicator (PLI). We are committed to publishing biennial reports on the results of indicator monitoring and progress against the PLI target.

The aim of the PLI is to illustrate trends in the potential pressure on the environment arising from the use of pesticides. The PLI combines data on pesticide usage with information on pesticide properties, such as how harmful they are to different wildlife groups and the way they behave in the environment. It consists of 4 environmental fate metrics (covering behaviour in the environment such as how quickly pesticides break down) and 16 ecotoxicity metrics (covering pesticide toxicity to non-target wildlife such as bees and fish). Taking 2018 as a baseline we have seen more than a 10% decrease in most of the metrics in 2024 on arable crops.

We know that the poor application of fertilisers can have negative environmental impacts. Defra is supporting farmers to use fertilisers more efficiently including by promoting the Nutrient Management Planning Tool and promoting AHDB guidance.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
13167
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Fertilisers Nature conservation Pesticides
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk