"Key workers" have held a protest with a difference at a Northumberland organic farm in the hope of catching the eye of the incoming Prime Minister.
But those protesting were not nurses, teachers, nor journalists; they were "nature's key workers." Insects, including flies and bees, held a tiny protest standing up for their rights armed with miniature placards reading "Save us, don't spray us!" and "There is no Planet B" at Bays Leap farm in Heddon-on-the-Wall.
The aim of the protest is to get the new Prime Minister, either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak, to take action to save nature in their first 100 days in Government. It runs in conjunction with a change.org petition launched ahead of Organic September on behalf of giving wildlife such as earthworms, ladybirds and bees a voice for the first time.
Read more: Northumberland wildlife charity 'horrified' after banned pesticide given green light by Government
Farmer Chris McDonald, who manages Bays Leap dairy farm where the protest took place, said: "The human race is here because of nature, let’s work with it. We’ve tried fighting it before and it doesn’t like it.
Mr McDonald's farm has been fully certified organic since 2018, with cows grazing in paddocks on forages such as herbal lays. Each year, he works with a local beekeeper to deploy bees onto the fields to help pollinate the flowers including red and white clover, lucerne and natural varieties.
Chris continued: "If we want harmony, we need to give nature a chance. My forages work in harmony with the pollinators - they’re crucial in the balance of keeping my farm successful."
Insects are a vital part of a balanced ecosystem, and as well as providing food for other animals and recycling nutrients, they play an essential role in our global food system. Much of our food depends on pollinators and without them, there wouldn't be potatoes, strawberries, tomatoes, coffee, chocolate or cotton.
The UK's organic industry is requesting that the new PM commits to protecting wildlife in any policies, and represents the UK at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in December.
Cristina Dimetto, General Manager of the Organic Trade Board (OTB), said: "Organic farming works with nature, not against it, encouraging natural predators like ladybirds and pollinators like bees and butterflies rather than spraying harmful pesticides. As a result, on average, plant, insect and bird life is 50% more abundant on organic farms.
"There are up to seven times more wild bees in organic grain fields. If pesticides were substituted for more sustainable farming practices (like organic), this could slow or reverse the decline in insects. The hope is that even tiny insect-sized steps can make a big difference when it comes to keeping nature’s crucial keyworkers thriving."
What do you think the new Prime Minister should do to protect nature? Let us know!
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