Responding to the report, NFU environment forum chairman Mark Pope said:
“British farmers and growers are acutely aware of the role insects and other wildlife can play in food production with 1,500 species pollinating plants in the UK. That is why farmers have planted around 10,000 football pitches worth of flower habitat across the country to support a healthy bee population, for example.
“It is crucial that claims in a global report like this is not looked at through a local lens. Here in the UK, farmers use integrated pest management plans to keep their use of pesticides to a minimum. Farming is an incredibly innovative sector and advances in technology mean any plant protection products can be applied more accurately than ever before.
“With an Agriculture Bill currently going through parliament, it is crucial that this new policy gives farm businesses all the tools to be productive, progressive and competitive in order to continue sustainably producing food for the nation.”