I was overjoyed to read that the “emergency” use of bee-killing pesticides has finally been banned (Government overturns Tory measure and bans emergency use of bee-killing pesticide, 23 January). This is great news for pollinators; neonicotinoids’ major use is to protect sugar beet crops from aphids. We don’t need sugar beet. East of England farmers have been incentivised for a century to grow a crop that is refined into a white powder with addictive properties, which causes obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Sugar is not nutritious, but is nevertheless the break crop of choice for our nation’s best arable land. While 100,000 hectares of that land continue to be used for sugar, campaigns about a perceived conflict between food security and renewable energy are a red herring. Food security and energy security are complementary benefits for Britain. Sugar only does damage.
Asher Minns
Executive director, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of East Anglia
