Letter to Executive Vice President of the EU Commission

To make sure that the European Green Deal cuts pesticides and switches to agroecology, today 87 organisations, as supporters of the European Citizens Initiative “Save Bees and Farmers!” (which has been already signed by over a quarter of a million EU citizens), have sent a letter to the Executive Vice President of the EU Commission, Mr Timmermans. (, 232.5 KB)

The significant decline of bees and pollinators in Europe and worldwide, together with the wider collapse of biodiversity we are currently witnessing has rightly raised alarm in the scientific community and general public. Experts have declared that “business as usual” cannot remain an option. It is now finally widely accepted that our food production model is a major driver of this ecology collapse, largely because of the massive use of synthetic pesticides it relies upon.

The signatories are calling on the European Commission to ensure the demands of the “Save Bees and Farmers!” ECI are embedded in the forthcoming strategies. In particular, they must without compromise:

• 1. start the phase-out of synthetic pesticides from EU agriculture, by setting a target to cut use by 80% by 2030 and a phase out by 2035.
• 2. set ambitious targets to restore biodiversity, especially in agricultural areas. Agriculture and biodiversity are not mutually exclusive, but must benefit each other.
• 3. support farmers in the transition towards a nature-friendly agriculture. CAP reform proposals must be strongly upgraded to support farmers financially and technically by prioritizing small scale, diverse and sustainable farming based on agroecology.

The signatories also look forward to the publication of ambitious and credible Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies that are fit for purpose, lead us away from the catastrophe we are facing, and meet the expectations of citizens and farmers.