Greener fields

Environmentalists in Denmark are calling for tougher restrictions on the use
of pesticides. This is despite an announcement by the Danish Environmental
Protection Agency that between 1986 and 1996 the quantity of pesticides sold
fell by 39 per cent. However, the DEPA admits that the figure is misleading.
Despite a tax on the use of pesticides, the area of crops sprayed did not fall
over the 10 years. The chemicals have simply become more efficient, so farmers
need less.