In a statement of support, BCPC chairman Dr Colin Ruscoe said: "The horticultural sector is a particularly important part of UK food production and will become more so as the increasing consumer demand for home-grown produce continues, and with it the need for healthy food.

"The sector faces major pressures and deserves increased inputs of science to support it. Changes in EU pesticide legislation threaten horticulture more than they do agriculture, in particular the production of carrots, brassicae, peas and potatoes, which could become uneconomic to grow if the few key pesticides are banned.

"Work is urgently required to find replacements, and/or alternative crop protection technologies to prevent this. BCPC, the British Crop Production Council, gives its full support to the Save our Science campaign."

The Save Our Science campaign was launched by Horticulture Week in the wake of funding cut-backs of successive UK governments for research, and more recently, changes in the funding priorities of Defra, which mean our remaining research bodies cannot be sure whether they will be able to pay their last few scientists in two or three years' time - let alone take on the huge task of meeting the crop protection challenge from Europe.

What you can do

If you agree with the campaign and would like to show your support, please send your name and a brief note on why you support the campaign by fax on 020 8267 4987, by email to gemma.spence@haymarket.com or by leaving a message online.

For more on the campaign and to view the latest statements of support, visit the Save Our Science Big Issue page.