Greenpeace has published analysis suggesting that a typical roast dinner, followed by strawberries for dessert, is produced using more than 100 different pesticide active substances.
The report, ‘Our Poisoned Land’, draws on official Pesticide Usage Survey data from Fera covering onions, leeks, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, peas, swede and turnips, along with strawberries.
The analysis uses the most recent Fera surveys available for each crop group, combining 2023 outdoor vegetable data with 2024 arable, soft fruit and potato storage figures, and in some cases drawing on grouped categories such as 'carrots, parsnips & celery' and 'root crucifers'.
Greenpeace says its investigators identified 102 unique pesticides used across seven food categories, including 43 on onions and leeks, 42 on strawberries, 40 on carrots and parsnips, 31 on field potatoes, 29 on peas, 20 on swede and turnips and five on stored potatoes.
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According to the organisation, seven of the 102 pesticides highlighted in the analysis are banned in the EU, and eight of the nine most commonly used are classified by campaign groups, using FAO/WHO‑based criteria, as Highly Hazardous Pesticides, with three described as ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS).
The report also notes that all of the crops examined receive multiple pesticide applications during the growing season.
Nina Schrank, senior campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: “A Sunday roast and strawberries might feel like one of the most natural and traditionally British meals imaginable but behind the scenes they’re produced using an astonishing cocktail of pesticides.
“Our countryside is being drenched in pesticides, with devastating consequences for bees, birds, butterflies, rivers and the soil. Fields that once hummed with wildlife are falling silent while agrochemical giants rake in enormous profits and farmers are trapped in a costly cycle of chemical dependency. That doesn’t strengthen food security - it makes it more fragile.
“Farmers are also under huge pressure from rising costs, climate shocks and volatile markets but some are already showing there’s another way. They’re reducing pesticide use and producing food alongside helping wildlife. If the government is serious about restoring nature and ensuring food security, it must properly back farmers and commit to halving pesticide use by 2030.”
Greenpeace contrasts its call for a 50% cut in pesticide use by 2030 with current UK government policy.
The government’s Pesticides National Action Plan currently targets a 10% reduction in the potential environmental harm from pesticide use by 2030, alongside measures to support integrated pest management and alternative approaches on farm.
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