Government alters future of agriculture industry with ban on common farm chemical: 'Our food supply is so dependent on them'

The United Kingdom recently banned the use of a pesticide called Cruiser SB, which is highly toxic to bees and has the potential to kill off entire populations of the insect.

The Guardian reported on the move, which overturned a previous ruling that allowed the emergency use of the pesticide, which helps farmers fight an aphid-driven plant disease called virus yellows.

Cruiser SB is one of many neonicotinoid pesticides, which are highly toxic in small quantities to bees. In fact, the publication reported that University of Sussex bee expert Dave Goulson has warned that just one teaspoon of the stuff could kill 1.25 billion honeybees.

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Previously, the government announced plans to ban three other types of neonicotinoid pesticides — clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam — but the continued use of Cruiser SB was still on the table.

Bees are crucially important pollinators that help us put food on our tables. In fact, bees and other pollinators are responsible for three out of every four bites of food we eat, according to the Department of Agriculture. The agency adds that these pollinators contribute $200 billion in ecological services each year.

Environmentalists rejoiced over the decision, with Greenpeace UK policy director Doug Parr telling The Guardian: "This announcement is as sweet as honey. It's a win for bees, butterflies and all pollinators, as well as every single person in this country, since our food supply is so dependent on them."

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However, lawmakers recognized that the ban could put a strain on the agricultural community and vowed to work with farmers. For instance, Crop Science UK notes that virus yellows can infect entire fields and cause sugar yield losses of up to 50% in root crops.

"We recognise the threat that virus yellows can pose to sugar beet growers, and we will continue to support industry to develop alternatives to neonicotinoids on sugar beet that are effective at high levels of yellows virus infection," U.K. Environment Minister Emma Hardy said, per The Guardian.

One of the actions that Crop Science UK recommends for sugar beet farmers to combat virus yellows is removing weeds and debris. Meanwhile, research at the John Innes Centre in Norwich has led to the development of a non-chemical approach to control the disease by utilizing the unique shape of the viral RNA structure to create antiviral products that target and degrade the virus.