The emergency authorisation of #neonicotinoids for #sugarbeet is a sticking plaster that distracts from the industry's much bigger problem.

Sugar is bad for us, and we grow far too much of it.

THREAD 1/6

Supporting sugar beet is the opposite of a public good.

When we pump in public money and relax regulation, we support an industry that causes obesity & diabetes.

British beet produces 2/3's more refined sugar than needed to meet the UK population's Recommended Daily Allowance.

Shockingly, as much land is used to grow sugar beet in the UK as all other home-grown vegetables together.

If British Sugar stopped producing excess sugar, it would free up land to grow:

148,000 tonnes of peas,
1.8 mil tonnes of potatoes,
or 3.1 mil tonnes of carrots

That would be much better for our health and our soils and would not require emergency authorisations of bee-killing #neonics

Rather than supporting a polluting industry, enable a green transition for farmers to produce more fruit and veg. Public money for public good

What's more, our research shows we lose half a million tonnes per year of our best soil to sugar beet every year.

We need more #sustainable & #environmental methods of farming & protecting our crops.

Our friends @SoilAssociation have ideas for action https://twitter.com/SoilAssociation/status/1348613326490783748?s=20

Meanwhile, we will be watching @BritishSugar v. carefully.

This emergency #insecticide authorisation is temporary. But make no mistake, the industry has lobbied against the full ban for years.

For more info. on the issues in this thread, click here https://feedbackglobal.org/campaigns/sugar-beet-and-soil-depletion/