We often hear about the importance of bees for pollination,  but a vast and diverse world of countless other tiny creatures, known as arthropods, are working tirelessly to keep our ecosystems healthy and our food systems functioning. Beetles, woodlice, millipedes, spiders and others are overlooked as mere “bugs,” but they are essential linchpins. They pollinate our crops, keep our soils rich and healthy, keep harmful pests in check and provide food to countless animals, all for free

This vital workforce is in a free fall. Germany alone has lost a staggering 75% of its flying insect biomass in protected areas in around 25 years, a trend mirrored across the continent.  This crisis is a direct consequence of industrial agriculture, with pesticide use as a major cause. [1] The core of the problem lies in a flawed EU guidance document that has been in use for the past 22 years. This document, which Member States and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) use to evaluate the risks of pesticides to arthropods, sets such weak protection standards that they are essentially meaningless. As a result, pesticides that are highly toxic to these beneficial creatures have been continuously authorised. We have highlighted this in our November 2024 Licence to Kill report. [2]

After years of inaction, these guidelines are being updated. The EFSA is now in charge of this critical revision, with a mandate from the European Commission.