On Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:16:27 +0100, Jake
wrote:


In this case, the Soil Association and similar organisations have
quite effectively alerted the farming lobby to the issues. The farming
lobby has got at the Governments of Europe and they have reacted.

Whilst I have little time for the Soil Association and the rest of the
organics lobby (IMHO they are both misguided and ineffectual), in this
case the blame undoubtedly lays elsewhere.

In this country the NFU, CLA and TFA would have been rapidly alerted
to the potential problem by the Crop Protection Association (used to
be called the agri chemical association) years ago when the first
papers were being published. Since then the CPA have maintained a
steady stream of defensive news releases.

The NFU in particular is an effective lobbying organisation, one that
the government (of any persuasion) tends to listen to over and above
public opinion.
--
rbel