There has been a dramatic rise in fruit sold to the public with residues of the most toxic pesticides that are supposed to be banned in Europe on health grounds, a new study has found. The analysis of 97,170 samples of popular varieties of fresh fruit grown in Europe shows a 53% rise over 9 years in the frequency of samples contaminated by the most risky category of pesticides. The research contradicts claims by the European Commission that farmers are using less of the pesticides, which are linked to cancer and other serious illnesses. Read the press release here.
The report was a runaway success, featured in at least 1,500 news stories globally and being featured prominently by some of Europe’s leading titles. It quickly triggered ministerial rebuttals in two countries, a debate in the European Parliament and TV and radio interviews weeks after launch. I worked closely with the PAN team and outside data analyst to create a media package, including the report name. We kept the story running by pushing back on ministerial statements about the report, which triggered further national coverage.
