Key facts
- French parliament approved a bill allowing the reauthorisation of acetamiprid and flupyradifurone pesticides.
- Scientists state these pesticides can poison bees, affecting their foraging and potentially causing mortality.
- The pesticides will be permitted to combat aphid-borne diseases in struggling farm sectors under exceptional circumstances.
- Beekeepers and environmental groups have strongly condemned the decision, citing risks to biodiversity and human health.
- Environment Minister Monique Barbut resigned in protest but was convinced to remain in her post.
- Farmers' unions and the agriculture minister supported the bill, citing solutions for growers.
French parliament has approved a bill allowing the reauthorisation of two pesticides, acetamiprid and flupyradifurone, which scientists have linked to bee mortality and reduced harvests. The decision has sparked outrage among beekeepers and environmentalists, who view it as a significant setback for biodiversity and public health.
Beekeepers described the measure as "scandalous, irrational and irresponsible," highlighting the existing pressures on bee populations from climate change, parasites, and habitat loss. Henri Clément, spokesperson for the French beekeeping association UNAF, warned of "very high mortality rates and reduced harvests" for bees. Yves Delaunay, a beekeeper from Vendée, recounted a drastic drop in honey production and colony collapse after neonicotinoids were introduced in the 1990s.
The law permits France's food and environmental safety agency, Anses, to grant waivers for the use of these pesticides, which are allowed in the EU but banned in France. This is intended to help struggling farm sectors, such as sugar beet, apple, hazelnut, and cherry producers, combat aphid-borne diseases. Scientific studies indicate acetamiprid, a neonicotinoid, has neurotoxic effects on bees, impacting their ability to forage and remember. A 2024 study suggested flupyradifurone could be lethal to honeybees.
Greenpeace France criticised the government for "trampling on science, health, the environment and the clear will of the people." Environment Minister Monique Barbut resigned in protest, stating she could no longer carry her ambition to protect the environment due to powerful opposing forces, but was persuaded to stay by President Emmanuel Macron after receiving "guarantees" on climate action goals.
Conversely, France's largest farmers' union, the FNSEA, welcomed the bill as a "major milestone and a victory for French farmers," with Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard stating it offered "real and tangible solutions" to growers. Agriculture ministry figures show honey production in France halved between the mid-1990s and mid-2010s, a period that also saw the introduction of neonicotinoids, though habitat loss and climate change were also cited as contributing factors.
Beekeepers and environmental groups, along with left-leaning parliament members, intend to challenge the law at the constitutional council, arguing it lacks adequate safeguards for human health and the environment. The bill passed the Senate by 214 votes to 111 after gaining lower house approval, with the pesticide authorisation added late in the legislative process.