This letter has been sent to nine national newspapers including The Times, Financial Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, Daily Mail, Daily Express, The Independent, Daily Mirror and The Sun following articles on Georgina Downs High Court case and the use of pesticides

Sir,
The industry takes stewardship of the land very seriously and farmers and growers always have and will continue to use pesticides responsibly. Following consultation with Government and consumer groups, the NFU has gone to great lengths to demonstrate professional and safe use of agricultural pesticides. It is imperative that our customers and neighbours in the countryside are reassured that we operate to the highest standards.
In addition to following all legal requirements, farmers and growers have gone to great lengths to support voluntary measures which go well beyond the legal requirement through schemes like the Voluntary Initiative, which involves the registration of sprayer operators and their regular training.
The NFU has also developed a Good Neighbour initiative to find solutions to concerns over spraying alongside neighbours. The initiative was developed in consultation with Georgina Downs. We will continue to work with Defra to ensure that crop spraying meets the Directive requirements while minimising additional costs to farmers and growers and ensuring a sufficient supply of safe and affordable food is produced.