France has once again banned neonicotinoids, and the frequent policy reversals have sparked large-scale protests and political action.

Release Date:

2023-02-13

AgroPages Chinese Website Report: In December 2022, French Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau stated that France intended to extend the “derogation” for another year. However, just a month later, on January 19, the EU Court of Justice ruled that member states are not authorized to grant such derogations for coated seeds, and that sugar beet cultivation cannot be treated as an exception. The French government promptly reversed its position, declaring that it would respect the court’s ruling. Yet, in the eyes of farmers, this represents a complete about-face: banning neonicotinoid insecticides before any effective alternatives have been found and simply shifting the burden onto farmers is unacceptable.

01 For the first time in three years, farmers have launched a large-scale protest.

French farmers drove tractors into Paris to protest their difficult situation. At 9 a.m. on February 8, a massive convoy of tractors approached the Porte de Versailles in Paris, where police had deployed officers to maintain order. After reaching the Porte de Versailles, the tractor procession continued toward the Hôtel des Invalides in the city center. According to the traffic information website Sytadin, by 9:30 a.m., traffic jams across the Greater Paris area had stretched for 304 kilometers, with congestion at one point reaching as long as 425 kilometers. The Paris Police Prefecture stated that “traffic was severely disrupted from the périphérique ring road through the 7th and 15th arrondissements,” adding that conditions would gradually return to normal.

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▲ On February 8, French farmers drove tractors to occupy areas around the Alexandre III Bridge and the square in front of the Hôtel des Invalides in central Paris. That day, numerous farmers brought their tractors to Paris to protest the government’s regulations restricting the use of pesticides. (Photo source: AFP)

▲ Starting at 6 a.m., tractors have been gathering in Paris at the call of the National Federation of Farmers’ Unions.

▲ A tractor in the parade bore a portrait of French President Emmanuel Macron, with the words “Macron, love me one more time!” written beside it.

02 In 2018, the European Union banned neonicotinoid insecticides, yet France has been reversing its policy overnight.

The trigger for this farmers’ protest was that, following a ruling by the EU Court of Justice, the French government announced on January 23 that neonicotinoid insecticides would no longer be permitted in sugar beet cultivation. Some farmers fear they will be unable to secure yields this year and thus fail to honor their supply contracts with sugar producers.

Neonicotinoid insecticides are harmful to bees and have been banned since 2018. In 2020, a yellowing disease transmitted by aphids cost French sugar beet farmers €280 million, yet at present, only neonicotinoids provide effective pest control. Following strong protests from farmers, the French government granted a temporary exemption at the end of 2020, allowing the use of neonicotinoid‑treated seeds until July 2023.

Damien Greffin, head of the Paris Basin branch of France’s largest farmers’ union, the National Federation of Farmers’ Unions (FNSEA), said, “I myself use neonicotinoid insecticides and have not observed any harm to the environment.”

03 Soaring Costs Make Life Even Tougher for Beet Farmers

Thibaut Carpentier, a 37-year-old farmer, did not take part in the Paris protests. He said he “could have joined the march,” but instead made another choice: starting this year, he will stop growing sugar beets. “Costs have skyrocketed, and banning pesticides will only make farming even more difficult,” he explained.

Thibaut’s farm also supplies onions to the Nestlé Group for use in baby food. He said he understands the ban on neonicotinoids: “If they’re harmful, it’s fine to prohibit them,” but the problem is that “the government hasn’t offered us any alternative solution.” Thibaut pointed out that not only the sugar industry, but also livestock farming would be affected, since the pulp left after sugar extraction is one of the main feeds for livestock. Sugar beets are worth only 40 euros per ton. However, Thibaut added that red beets account for a “negligible” share of total beet cultivation and require “much more manual labor.”

Source: Sohu

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