Long-term food security remains at risk if the European Parliament continues on its course to introduce proposals to reduce the amount of pesticides available to growers, the UK’s Fresh Produce Consortium has claimed.

According to an updated assessment by the UK’s Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD) the proposals could remove up to 23 per cent of crop protection products, which the Fresh Produce Consortium argued are vital to the production of fruit and vegetables across Europe.

“Fruit and vegetable prices could be set to rocket and it may not be economic to grow certain horticultural crops in the UK,” said Nigel Jenney, chief executive of the Fresh Produce Consortium.

Mr Jenney said the lobbying group was waiting for PSD’s agronomic report to check the full implications of the latest proposals, but that it would continue to call for a full European impact assessment to be included in the Regulations before they are enforced.

“We must hold MEPs accountable to hard pressed consumers in this difficult economic climate for the repercussions of their decision making when the European Parliament votes on the final proposals,” he said.

“Once we have the agronomic report we shall be giving further guidance to our members and contacts across the globe to continue to fight for the future of horticulture and to defend the right of the consumer to enjoy good quality healthy produce.”

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