France's parliament has approved a bill reauthorising two pesticides, acetamiprid and flupyradifurone, despite scientific evidence of their harm to bees and widespread public opposition. The decision, made on Tuesday, allows the national food and environmental safety agency, Anses, to grant waivers for their use in struggling farm sectors under exceptional circumstances. This move prioritises corporate agricultural profits over ecological health, exacerbating the very climate breakdown that drives global migration.
Beekeepers and environmentalists reacted with outrage. Carolyn Bouguet, a beekeeper in Essonne, greater Paris, expressed profound frustration, noting that bee populations are already severely compromised by climate change, new parasites, and habitat loss. Henri Clément, a beekeeper in Lozère and spokesperson for the French beekeeping association, UNAF, called the measure "an absolute disaster for our sector, and for biodiversity as a whole," predicting "very high mortality rates and reduced harvests" for bees.
Profit Over Planet
The pesticides, though allowed in the wider European Union, had been banned in France. Their reauthorisation aims to combat aphid-borne diseases affecting sugar beet, apples, hazelnuts, and cherries, with producers claiming they can no longer compete with European rivals. This framing of "competition" highlights the neoliberal pressures that force states to dismantle environmental protections in favour of short-term corporate gains, mirroring the logic that underpins Fortress Europe's economic priorities.
Scientific studies confirm the dangers. Acetamiprid, a neonicotinoid, possesses powerful neurotoxic effects that poison bees, impairing their foraging capacity and memory. A 2024 study further indicated that flupyradifurone could be lethal to some honeybees, underscoring the clear scientific consensus being ignored by the government.
Greenpeace France condemned the legislation as "deeply concerning" and "a disgrace," accusing the country’s centrist government and its rightwing parliamentary allies of "trampling on science, health, the environment and the clear will of the people." This disregard for public will, evidenced by a petition against a similar bill last year that gathered over 2 million signatures, exposes the anti-democratic nature of policies driven by corporate interests.
The Cost of Corporate Agriculture
The agriculture ministry's own figures reveal a stark decline: honey production in France halved between the mid-1990s, when neonicotinoids were first introduced, and the mid-2010s. While habitat loss and climate breakdown are also contributing factors, the timing aligns with the widespread use of these chemicals. Yves Delaunay, a beekeeper from Vendée, recounted how his honey production plummeted from 80kg per hive to 5kg after neonicotinoids were introduced in the 1990s, leading to colony collapses where 70,000 bees dwindled to 20,000 in just days.
Environment Minister Monique Barbut initially submitted her resignation on Wednesday, describing the legislation as "one environmental setback too many." She stated her intention to defend "the silence of our forests, the quality of our water, the purity of our air, the richness of our soils and the diversity of life," but felt "the forces opposing these goals have become so powerful that I can no longer carry this ambition through." However, she later reversed her decision after meeting President Emmanuel Macron, who offered her "guarantees" on climate action goals, a vague promise that rings hollow against the backdrop of this legislative rollback.
Meanwhile, France’s largest farmers’ union, the FNSEA, hailed the bill’s approval as "a major milestone and a victory for French farmers." Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard claimed it brought "real and tangible solutions" to growers, asserting that the health agency would only permit pesticide use under specific conditions, including "no impact on human health or the environment, an emergency situation … and no alternative." These assurances stand in direct contradiction to scientific findings and the lived experience of beekeepers.
Resistance to Ecological Destruction
The senate backed the bill by 214 votes to 111 on Tuesday, following earlier approval in the lower house. The proposal to reauthorise the two pesticides was inserted late in the legislative process, a tactic to ensure its passage through the right-leaning upper house. This legislative maneuvering bypasses democratic scrutiny and public concern.
Last year, the French parliament passed a similar bill reauthorising acetamiprid, but it was annulled by the constitutional council for failing to comply with France’s environmental charter. Now, the beekeeping union, environmental groups, and left-leaning members of parliament have announced their intention to refer this new law to the constitutional council, arguing it lacks adequate safeguards for human health and the environment. This ongoing resistance highlights the deep divisions between corporate-driven policy and the collective struggle for ecological justice, a struggle intrinsically linked to the fight for open borders and climate justice for all.