SME UK Enterprise Awards 2024/ 154 Most Pioneering Pesticide Awareness Campaigner 2024: Georgina Downs In the early 1980s, a young Georgina Downs and her family moved from Pagham to the West Sussex countryside. Their new house was situated next to a number of agricultural fields, the closest of which housed livestock when they first moved in but was converted into land for growing crops shortly after. Subsequent years saw Georgina’s health decline, and it was discovered that breathing in the cocktails of toxic pesticides used on the neighbouring fields was a main factor. Determined to combat this injustice, Georgina established the UK Pesticides Campaign (UKPC) back in 2001, with this continuing to serve as the only representative campaign across the UK designed specifically for rural communities and residents impacted by agricultural pesticides. Having lived next to crop fields regularly sprayed with pesticides for more than 35 years, Georgina is the perfect person to manage this campaign and highlight the adverse health impacts that pesticides can have. Through Georgina’s efforts, the UKPC was the first to expose the fatal flaws in the UK Government’s risk assessment policy approach to pesticide use back in 2001, which did not cover long-term resident exposure and instead only had a short-term assessment in place for transient bystanders. This served in direct contrast to the rules set by the EU, which, whilst far from perfect, did have a protocol in place. In the 23 years since this initial challenge, Georgina is incredibly proud of the impact the UKPC has had across both the UK and the rest of Europe. Concerning the former, UKPC representation has resulted in the likes of Government Ministers requesting two consultations on pesticide use in 2003 and 2010, as well as a Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution inquiry being held, with campaign members asked to provide presentations, and with Georgina herself being asked to be a peer reviewer of the report. UKPC also garnered widespread cross-party support in both the House of Lords and the House of Commons for a vital amendment to the Agriculture Bill for the protection of rural residents and communities from agricultural pesticides. Georgina’s crowning achievement in the UK would come in 2008, when she formally challenged the regulations of the then Government, specifically the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), in the High Court of Justice. Successful in her High Court challenge, the Government was then forced to act by enlisting two working groups, BRAWG and PAHES, to review the policies and approaches concerning pesticide use in the UK. Despite these victories, a number of the crucial changes the Government announced it would do as a result of its review have still not been implemented in full. Across Europe, Georgina and the UKPC achieved such feats as seeing stronger requirements brought in for the protection of residents under EU Regulation 1107/2009, as well as having ushered in new exposure and risk assessment requirements for both rural residents and bystanders. Moreover, the efforts of the campaign also prompted updated guidance from the European Food Safety Authority on the exposure and risk assessments for operators, workers, residents, and bystanders, from the use of pesticides. On the back of such tremendous accomplishments, Georgina has been on the receiving end of national and international acclaim, afforded an array of prestigious environmental awards and nominations for her tireless efforts. To name just a few, Georgina won Cosmopolitan’s 2006 Heroine Award, and the 2008 Daily Mail’s Eco Woman of the Year Award; was voted as the most inspiring pioneer in The Observer’s Secret Pioneer poll in 2008, securing more than 61% of the votes; was listed second in The Guardian’s 25 People of the Year 2008; and was named in the Inspirational Women: Role Models feature in Vogue the following year. Registered with both the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists and the British Guild of Agricultural Journalists since 2006, Georgina also frequently writes articles on the pesticides scandal and the protections still needed for rural residents and communities, with her work having been featured in the likes of The Green Times and on the Natural Health News website. A number of external articles have also been published that span the great work done by Georgina and the campaign, featured in the likes of The Daily Mail, Independent, The Sunday Times, and The Ecologist. Even now, more than 20 years on, Georgina’s campaigning continues. More than 14,000 people have already signed her ongoing petition concerning a total ban on the crop spraying of poisonous pesticides in areas near to homes, schools, playgrounds and other public places. A number of prominent figures have backed this petition, including Boris Johnson’s father, Stanley Johnson, as well as Hillsborough KC Michael Mansfield, Jonathon Porritt and others. For more than two decades, Georgina Downs has been picking up the slack where nobody else will, giving a voice to the silent majority and campaigning for change. As she explains, “I am very honoured to have received this business award in the SME UK Enterprise Awards 2024. The work of the campaign will continue until definitive action is taken to protect rural residents and communities.” Contact Details Contact: Georgina Downs Company: UK Pesticides Campaign Web Address: www.pesticidescampaign.co.uk/ Twitter: @GeorginaDowns43 Medium: https://medium.com/@georginadowns/about
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