Skip to main content
The Morning Star Shop
Britain exported 8,500 tonnes of banned pesticides last year, investigation reveals
A bee collecting pollen in the city of Bristol

BRITAIN exported 8,500 tonnes of banned pesticides in 2023, an investigation revealed today.

Greenpeace’s investigative unit, Unearthed, and the NGO Public Eye discovered that the volume of neonicotinoid thiamethoxam, a toxic insecticide that destroys bees’ nervous systems, was so large that it could cover the whole of England.

The weedkiller diquat accounted for 60 per cent of the total exports.

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
Similar stories
CATASTROPHIC END OF THE LINE: Recent die-off of bees in the Groot Winterhoek mountains is linked to widespread pesticide poisoning, with cases confirmed in February 2025 / Pic: Discott/CC
Race / 29 October 2025
29 October 2025

The West’s dangerous pesticide dumping in Africa is threatening biodiversity, population health and food sovereignty, argues ROGER McKENZIE