French Farmers demonstrate against changes to legislation that would ease restrictions on pesticide and water use in farming.
Summary
● Farmers oppose amendments to bill easing environmental rules
● Bill re-authorises banned pesticide used on sugar beet
● Protests disrupt highways into Paris, around parliamentCritics say bill favours large-scale agro industry
PARIS, May 26 SNPNEWS, French farmers, led by the FNSEA union, protested in Paris on May 26, 2025, against a proposed law to loosen environmental regulations, which was debated in the National Assembly. The bill, introduced by far-right MP Laurent Duplomb, aimed to simplify breeding facility approvals, ease water use restrictions for irrigation, and reauthorize the banned neonicotinoid pesticide acetamiprid, which environmentalists argue harms bees.
About 150 farmers from regions like Ile-de-France and Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur blocked highways around Paris with tractors and rallied outside parliament, demanding the bill pass without amendments from left-wing and Green politicians, whom they accused of undermining agriculture. FNSEA leaders, including Arnaud Rousseau, vowed to continue protests until Wednesday, with more farmers expected to join, and planned actions in Brussels against EU environmental policies. Critics, like Ecologists MP Delphine Batho, called the bill “Trump-inspired,” while farmers argued it’s necessary to compete in a single EU market.
environmental impact pesticides
Pesticides, like the neonicotinoid acetamiprid at the center of the French farmers’ protests, have significant environmental impacts.
They contaminate soil, water, and air, disrupting ecosystems. Neonicotinoids, specifically, are highly toxic to pollinators like bees, reducing their populations and threatening crop pollination and biodiversity—global bee declines are linked to 30-50% yield losses in some crops. Runoff from pesticide-treated fields pollutes rivers and groundwater, harming aquatic life; for instance, studies show 70% of U.S. streams contain pesticide residues.
Non-target species, including birds and amphibians, face population declines—pesticide exposure is tied to a 10% annual drop in some bird species. Soil microbes, critical for nutrient cycling, are also disrupted, with long-term use reducing soil fertility by up to 20%. While pesticides boost agricultural yields (e.g., preventing 40% crop loss globally), their overuse fosters resistant pests, requiring stronger chemicals.
Alternatives like integrated pest management or organic methods can reduce impacts but face adoption barriers due to cost and scale. The French bill’s push to reauthorize acetamiprid reflects this tension between short-term agricultural needs and long-term ecological harm.