Organic farming: EU sends mixed signals on pesticide usage

If ever there was a case of mixed signals being sent to farmers, then the EU and its attitude to pesticides is it.

There are, it seems, two contradictory pathways facing food producers.

On the one hand, Europe is imposing restrictions on the use of pesticides, herbicides and other agri-industrial inputs. The partial neonicotinoid ban and the glyphosate licence renewal debacle exemplify this.