French beekeepers' fury at lifting of pesticides ban
5 hours ago
- French parliament approved a bill reauthorizing two banned pesticides (acetamiprid and flupyradifurone), sparking outrage from beekeepers and environmentalists.
- Beekeepers warn the pesticides, banned in France but allowed in the EU, cause high bee mortality, reduced honey production, and harm biodiversity.
- Scientific studies show acetamiprid is neurotoxic to bees, affecting foraging and memory, while flupyradifurone can be lethal to honeybees.
- France's environment minister Monique Barbut resigned in protest but stayed after President Macron's climate action guarantees.
- Farmers' union FNSEA welcomed the bill as a victory, arguing it helps combat aphid-borne diseases in crops like sugar beet and apples.
- Honey production in France halved between the mid-1990s and mid-2010s due to neonicotinoids, habitat loss, and climate change.
- Opponents plan to refer the law to the constitutional council, citing inadequate safeguards for health and environment.
- Beekeepers describe the reauthorization as a disaster, noting past devastating effects on colonies (e.g., from 70,000 to 20,000 bees in days).