French Beekeepers Warn of Bee Deaths from Pesticides

French beekeepers and conservationists are sharply criticizing a law that once again allows the use of two pesticides banned in France. They claim that acetamiprid and flupyradifurone pose a serious risk to bees and biodiversity.

The new legislation allows the France’s food and environmental safety agency to grant exemptions for the use of those two pesticides in protecting sugar beets, apples, hazelnuts and cherries from aphid-borne diseases. Farmers argue that without these pesticides, they cannot compete with producers from other EU countries where the chemicals are permitted.

The beekeepers' association UNAF points out that scientific studies link acetamiprid to impaired orientation and foraging abilities in bees, while a 2024 study suggested that flupyradifurone may be lethal to some bees.

The law was supported by the largest farmers' organization, FNSEA, as well as Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard. Environmental organizations and the opposition, meanwhile, announced they would file a petition with the constitutional council, arguing that the legislation does not sufficiently protect human health or the environment.

(Guardian, SAB)