Pesticide

Pesticide poison victims in France asked to join legal action

The aim is to create a compensation fund for residents suffering with illnesses thought to be caused by pesticides

Supermarket oranges recalled in France over pesticide levels

The fruits were grown in Tunisia and mostly sold in northern France

Should you be worried about pesticides in French wine?

Vigneron Jonathan Hesford says wine buyers should look beyond the shock headlines

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French minister calls new 10-year glyphosate authorisation ‘stupidity’

He called the EU’s decision ‘an environmental step backwards’

Boy, 16, compensated in France after mother’s exposure to glyphosate

It is the first official acknowledgment of a link between the pesticide and prenatal damage

What is the cost of getting rid of a bedbug infestation in France?

We look at the options as infestations are on the rise in homes - and allegedly trains and cinemas

Pesticides in French tap water ‘not a health risk’

A recent study found traces of a banned fungicide in half of the samples taken from French drinking water, but authorities say tap water is safe to drink

Traces of banned pesticide found in French tap water

France’s food safety agency said a third of samples taken contained byproducts of the banned pesticide chlorothalonil. Paris and west France among affected areas

Dangerous pesticides found in areas around French vineyards

A new study has found significant traces of pesticides which are suspected of causing cancer in a wide area surrounding vineyards in France

99% of Brittany waterways found to have traces of pesticide

One sample contained 83 traces of different pesticides and residue. Drinking water is still deemed safe but its quality for some is far from ideal

Major farm herbicide to be withdrawn in France to protect groundwater

S-metolachlor, typically used in maize, sunflower and soya crops, is to be pulled from sale after studies found ‘unacceptable levels,’ including in water destined for human consumption

French rural residents ‘must be protected from pesticides’

The Conseil d’Etat has ruled that minimum distances between homes and pesticide-approved agricultural land insufficient

How can I find a gardener in France who is allowed to use herbicides?

We look at the rules surrounding the use of certain weed killers in France

12 million people in France have drunk pesticide-contaminated water

Up to 20% of the population – especially in Brittany – has consumed water with potentially dangerous pesticide levels. We ask: should we switch to bottled?

France one of EU’s worst culprits for pesticide-grown fruit and veg

The amount of fruit and veg in Europe with traces of dangerous pesticides has increased ‘dramatically’ since 2011, a network of NGOs claims

French study to find if living near vineyard increases pesticide risk

Researchers will analyse urine and hair samples and other data collected from thousands of participants chosen at random in six regions

France must improve farm pesticide rules for workers and locals

The court said that the current regulations are insufficient and do not provide enough protection for people living and working close to pesticide spreading, especially in rural areas

Organic crops in France found to contain herbicide carried in wind

Prosulfocarb has been found in organic harvests in different areas of the country, costing farmers thousands in loss of earnings

West France farms biggest users of controversial weedkiller

An NGO found that the Charente-Maritime and Gironde departments were the biggest buyers of the herbicide glyphosate in 2019, which could be banned in France by 2023

French mayors impose stricter rules for pesticides on farms

Ten communes have introduced new local regulations against pesticide use

Use of pesticides has ‘exploded’ in France in past decade

A new, but controversial, study reported a 25% rise - although detractors claim the study left out a year's data

French-Vietnam woman in ‘fight of her life’ on war chemicals

Tran To Nga was poisoned with ‘agent orange’ during the Vietnam War, and her case against 26 multinational chemical companies starts in France today

Local anti-pesticide laws not allowed in France

The Conseil d’Etat has said mayors do not have the authority to ban the use of the chemicals in their communes

French firm SNCF to use more natural glyphosate alternative

The train company - France’s biggest user of the herbicide - is to switch to another product that uses more natural materials for its vegetation maintenance

France approves three-year use of controversial pesticide

The Constitutional council has approved the use of neonicotinoids for three years, even though they are harmful to bees and other animals

France recalls sesame seed products due to toxic pesticide

Products from major brands including Carrefour, Monoprix and Bonne Maman have been recalled due to high levels of the carcinogen ethylene oxide

French farmer’s long fight against Monsanto draws to close

Farmer Paul François has been locked in a legal battle with the controversial multinational corporation since 2004

Insecticide harmful to bees temporarily allowed in France

Neonicotinoids have been approved for three years to be used in growing sugar beet despite having previously been banned, mainly due to evidence that they are toxic for bees

New French study finds 32 toxic pesticides in the air

A new study into pesticides found in the air in France has identified 75 different substances, including 32 deemed to be “a priority [to investigate]” due to their potential toxicity and links to cancer and endocrine conditions.

Positive environmental news in France: June

In this month's round up of the positive environmental news making headlines in France, we talk waste, pesticide use, and solar panels on a supermarket.

Farmers can spray pesticides within 5m of rural homes

Nature and ecology groups supported by about 100 mayors have lost an urgent legal challenge to laws allowing farmers to spray weedkiller and pesticides close to homes in the French countryside.

French NGOs bring court case on confinement pesticides

Nine NGOs in France are taking the French government to court for allegedly using Covid-19 as an excuse to allow pesticides to be sprayed on crops too close to housing, in contravention of laws imposed in December.

Green news in France: April 2020

A monthly update on environmental events and occurrences in France: Overfishing issues, a gas bus, pomme pesticidesand in-jean-ious insulation

French farmers protest over no-go zones for pesticide

Protesting farmers are demanding the withdrawal of a new law which lays down obligatory no-pesticide zones near housing to avoid contamination.

France launches new campaign against bed bugs

The French government has launched a new campaign against bed bugs, to raise awareness and share information on how to prevent them, and get rid of them.

French MPs suggest public service to combat bed bugs

There could soon be a public service in France dedicated to helping people get rid of bed bugs, after two cross-party MPs suggested the idea.

French eco group calls to ‘cancel’ crop spread rule

A French environmental association is calling for the cancellation of the government’s recent decree to set a minimum buffer zone of 5-20 metres between pesticide spreading and inhabited buildings.

Green news in France: January 2020

A monthly update on environmental events and occurrences in France: fund for pesticide-exposed workers, acid river spill, Europacity, co-prop coop and a solar car plant.....

France’s ban on 36 glyphosate weedkillers

Thirty-six products used in agriculture and containing the controversial herbicide glyphosate must be removed from sale this year, France’s national safety agency Anses has ruled.

France confirms pesticide buffer of up to 20 metres

Dangerous pesticides will legally be required to be spread at least 20 metres away from inhabited homes and buildings from January 1, 2020, the French government has confirmed.

Glyphosate conundrum

Glyphosate has become a political football and even scientists cannot agree over it.

French court allows mayor pesticide ban for first time

A French court has rejected a request from departmental authorities to cancel two mayoral anti-pesticide decrees for the first time.

Map shows where France's pesticide bans are in place

More than 60 bans are in place across France

France debates mandatory 5-10 metre pesticide distance

The French government is considering introducing a mandatory distance of 5-10 metres between fields treated with pesticides, and homes - but some critics say this will not go far enough to improve health.

French mayor’s pesticide ban overturned in court

A French mayor who banned the use of pesticides near buildings in his commune has been forced to overturn the ban by a court in Rennes.

Court to rule on French mayor pesticide ban next week

A court decision over whether to force a French mayor to overturn his ban of the use of pesticides near local residents’ homes has been postponed to next week.

Pesticide-free city ready for important honey harvest

Avignon ready for first harvest of honey from hives on top of World Heritage Site the Palais des Papes

French mayor bans pesticide use near to housing

A French mayor in Brittany has banned the use of pesticides within a certain distance of human housing, in a bid to protect inhabitants and the environment.

French mayor to face court after banning pesticides

A mayor in Brittany is to face court after banning the use of pesticides and herbicides near housing in his commune, with authorities demanding that he reverse his decision.

French town's glyphosate ban for farmers 'illegal'

But mayor insists she will not withdraw local decree outlawing use of controversial herbicide

No warning of spraying

We live in the Charente-Maritime surrounded by vines. How refreshing to hear ( website article, May 21) a mayor is trying to protect the environment and locals from poisons put into the countryside.

11 key changes in France from January 1, 2019

A new year and a new month are set to bring changes to life in France, including - from January 1, 2019 - a rise in gas prices, a ban on glyphosate, changes to energy benefits, tax, healthcare, and apprenticeships.

French Assemblée delays pesticide ban by three years

The French Assemblée has voted to push back its planned ban on the production of certain pesticides by three years to 2025, the same week as hundreds of thousands marched against climate change.

Green news in France - March 2019

An update on environmental events and occurrences in France: eco-responsible eateries, pesticide warning and waste dumping.....

TV show investigates pesticide levels of fruit

Avocados, kiwis and plums are among the fruits on sale in supermarkets that are the least contaminated by pesticides and herbicides.

The least-contaminated fruit and veg to eat in France

A new TV report on pesticides including the controversial herbicide glyphosate has drawn up a list of the best fruits and vegetables to eat in France to avoid the worst chemical residues.

Pesticide ban and ‘new’ ways to beat weeds

After farmers using the common pesticide metam sodium had difficulty breathing, it was banned in France until February for tests. Similar fears on other pesticides prompted a national ban on councils using chemicals in parks and, as Brian McCulloch finds, encouraged other ways of working