About Us
The Pesticide – Free Devon Network is a collaboration of local individuals, groups and organisations across the County of Devon, who want to transition away from the use of pesticides to control unwanted plants and organisms in a range of locations including – farms, municipal green space, allotments and gardens.
It is becoming increasingly clear that pesticides cause harm to plants, insects and other organisms in the surrounding ecosystem to where they are being used and could be affecting human health as well. They are increasingly being linked to the decline in pollinating insects that has been happening in the UK and across the globe over the last 50 years and there is a growing body of evidence to show linkage with impacts on other types of organism such as aquatic invertebrates.
If we don’t look after our local biodiversity our ecosystems will become increasingly depleted and be less able to support life, including humans. As a society we therefore need to adopt different strategies for managing unwanted organisms in our landscape that are in balance with nature and our own wellbeing.
What We Do:
Supporting Local Initiatives:
Local action is the DNA of our transition to a pesticide-free culture. Farmers, gardeners, local councils, businesses, householders, community workers….anyone who is actively engaged in using pesticide-free approaches in their work, home or community environment is contributing to creating a Pesticide – Free Devon and we want to do all that we can to support them. For more information about Pesticide – Free initiatives in your Local Area click here.
Sharing Knowledge and Experience:
One of the main barriers to people going pesticide-free is a lack of knowledge and practical experience of how to manage land areas in more nature-friendly ways. We want to bring this knowledge together in one easily accessible place online, but we want to go further and develop workshops, training courses and events where pesticide-free skills and techniques can be practically demonstrated and passed on. For more information please go to our Resources section.
Engaging Regionally and Nationally:
We can achieve a huge amount in our local communities and by collaborating and networking together across Devon, but we also need the support of regional and national agencies and government to help make the decisions that will encourage and resource pesticide-free approaches to farming, land management and gardening. By engaging with M.P.’s, County Councillors and significant regional organisations, we can convey the practical needs and aspirations of our growing grassroots network to the places where key strategic decisions are being made for Devon.