Dutch origin no guarantee of fewer pesticides

Dutch fruit and vegetables do not contain fewer pesticide residues than products from other countries. This is according to Pesticide Action Network Netherlands (PAN-NL). The organization bases this on NVWA residue tests from 2022 through 2024. PAN-NL is therefore questioning the claim that Dutch fresh produce is among the cleanest in the world.

Residues compared

PAN-NL compared 17 types of fruit and vegetables. These were products for which NVWA had tested enough samples from the Netherlands and other countries. The organization looked at the number of residues, the amount of residues and exceedances of legal limits.

PAN-NL also assessed the presence of endocrine-disrupting pesticides, PFAS pesticides, CMR pesticides and substances that qualify for substitution. According to the organization, Dutch fruit and vegetables do not have fewer residues than comparable products from other countries.

PAN-NL reports that Dutch products have more often contained PFAS pesticides and endocrine-disrupting pesticides in recent years. The amount of pesticides found was also higher. On the other hand, the number of exceedances of legal limits was lower. On average, fewer different types of pesticides were also found.

Differences by product

The results differ by product group. Fewer pesticides were found on Dutch bell peppers than on bell peppers from other countries. More pesticides were found on apples from the Netherlands.

Researcher Sjoerd van de Wouw says: “There is still a world to gain in reducing pesticides, just as much in the Netherlands as in other countries. One-third of the fruit and vegetables examined contain PFAS pesticides. One in five contain endocrine-disrupting pesticides. Dutch fruit and vegetables even showed slightly more of these than the same products from other countries. If you think Dutch fruit and vegetables are always the cleaner choice, you are in for a rude awakening.”

Claim under pressure

According to PAN-NL, there is no substantiation for the claim that Dutch agriculture is the cleanest in the world. The organization says similar claims are also made in other countries.

The study is being published on the day the negotiated outcome of the crop protection products covenant is announced. According to PAN-NL, the findings show that further reductions are still needed in the Netherlands as well.

Pan-netherlands.org