May 03 2021 Read 5 Times The agricultural industry is under significant pressure at the present time. Not only does it have to produce enough food to sustain a ballooning global population, but it must also grapple with other factors such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and environmental pollution. Pesticides have proven to be an invaluable method of maximising crop yields from the space available whilst simultaneously warding off unwanted pests, invasive plant species and disease. However, many pesticides contain chemicals that can damage human health and biodiverse ecosystems if they are used excessively and allowed to accumulate in the environment. For that reason, the EU instituted strict controls on their deployment in 2009, with the introduction of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive (SUD). For more than ten years, the SUD has served the agricultural community and EU lawmakers well in delineating guidelines for responsible use of these tools, but it now requires evaluation and revision to ensure it remains relevant today.