Over 500 different pesticides are authorised for use in over 3000 different products. More than 314 million tonnes of pesticides are used annually in the EU. France uses 97,000 tonnes, 18,000 in the Netherlands and Greece, and 42,000 in Italy. Together the countries in the EU are the largest users of pesticides in the world. About 25,000 tonnes of pesticides are sprayed in the UK each year. The total amount is falling, but the area treated is increasing. The then government agency the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service (ADAS) found in 1990 that £4.1 million-worth of spraying was a complete waste of time.

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Pesticide Hazards and Impacts

from PAN

Pesticides are poisons that kill unwanted pests. Most pesticides miss the target contaminating the land, air water and food we eat.

Fertiliser use has steadily increased. About 1000 million tons of fertiliser are used throughout the world. Over 1.5 million tonnes of nitrogen fertilisers are now used in the UK. No country in the world uses more per hectare than the UK. The Netherlands uses the same per farmer, but less over all. The USA, Australia and Canada have much land to spare so they are not under the same pressure to increase yields per hectare.

Each extra million tonnes of fertiliser used produces less than the previous million.

Fertilsers and energy