Pesticides are harming hundreds of species of birds, animals, plants, insects and soil microorganisms, and their use is a major cause of the biodiversity crisis.

An international research team that included the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and the University of Sussex found that exposure to pesticides, including insecticides, fungicides and herbicides, is causing a decline in beneficial insects, pollinators and other wildlife by reducing how fast they grow, their reproductive success, their ability to catch prey, find plants to forage upon, and attract mates.

New pesticides are currently tested on just a few species that are easy to reproduce in the lab, and don’t look at the range of species that will be exposed to pesticides in the environment. This is the first study to look at the effects of pesticides across a wide range of species, finding evidence of damage to over 800 species.

One of the researchers, Professor Dave Goulson of the University of Sussex explained: “It is often assumed that pesticides are toxic primarily to the target pest and closely related organisms, but this is clearly not true. Concerningly, we found pervasive negative impacts across plants, animals, fungi and microbes, threatening the integrity of ecosystems.”

The scientists concluded that: “Overall, this study provides strong evidence that pesticides pose a significant and widespread threat to biodiversity.” They called for stricter regulations on pesticide use and more sustainable farming practices.

However, pesticide use is still going up. The companies that make pesticides are among the very biggest in the world and influence both politicians and the National Farmers Union. They promote reliance on their products through regional reps and affiliated agricultural advisers that visit farmers.

Although pesticides present a huge problem for wildlife as well as for our own health, it will require strong government policy to move us towards a farming system that is not reliant on pesticides.

Launched in 2022, DEFRA’s Sustainable Farming Incentive supports more sustainable practices such as paying farmers to use natural pest control methods such as planting wildflowers and beetle banks to increase natural predators, adjusting the timing of planting to avoid pests and rotating crops to break the pest species’ life cycles.

Areas of marginal farmland with low food production but high potential for nature restoration, like Dartmoor, stand to gain the most from this scheme, securing a sustainable income in return for public benefits.

Gardeners can also do their bit by avoiding the use of pesticides, including weedkillers, to allow populations of natural predators to build up. A single ladybird can consume 5,000 aphids in its lifetime. And creating wilder habitats will encourage beneficial pest-eating animals such as frogs, birds and hedgehogs to come into the garden.

The evidence that pesticides are indiscriminate, harming not just the target pests but also beneficial insects, pollinators and other wildlife should motivate us all to adopt sustainable alternatives and eliminate pesticides as fast as we can.