Wendy Chamberlain MP hosted a special Parliamentary Reception in the Palace of Westminster to honour the Voluntary Initiative’s (VI) 25th anniversary.
The event was enjoyed by MPs, partners and supporters from across the agricultural and horticultural sectors. Marking the occasion were speeches from Baroness Hayman, Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Alistair Carmichael, Chair of the EFRA Committee and Matt Redman, farmer and contractor and former Farm Sprayer Operator of the Year.
David Bell, Chair of the VI said: “It was very fitting to celebrate all that the VI has achieved over the years with those who have made it happen through support, collaboration and positive action, in the Palace of Westminster.
“The VI was initially set up when a pesticide tax was proposed by the UK Government in 2001 and the industry came together to demonstrate that best practice would be better achieved through collaboration than taxation.
“Not only has the work of the VI ensured that a pesticide tax has not been introduced, as it has in parts of northern Europe – at the expense in time and money to growers and the wider industry, but it has developed to create a number of further benefits that have created a very competent, professional industry that is trusted by stakeholders across the supply chain and the UK Government.”
Matt Redman noted IPM (Integrated Pest Management) as a good example of how thinking needs to develop, looking at the whole farming system and understanding that chemical control is one solution among many.
“Decisions about spraying cannot be separated from the rotation, the cultivation strategy, drilling date, seed bed conditions or crop competition:
“If we are to rely solely on chemistry to solve problems created by a wider farming system, we are unlikely to achieve the best result long-term. CPD allows us to keep that wider perspective and IPM helps us to visualise the bigger picture.”
