Faced with the anger of farmers, the government was forced to suspend its new strategy regarding pesticides. He finally presented his findings on Monday.
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The Ecophyto 2030 plan, intended to reduce the use of pesticides in France, was presented on Monday May 6 by the government. Launched in 2008, this plan has never achieved its objective of reducing the use of synthetic pesticides by 50%. At the end of 2023, a commission of inquiry warned that in France, “on at least a third of the national territory, pesticides and their metabolites [composants issus de leur dégradation] constitute a major threat to drinking water resources..
But faced with angry demonstrations and blockages of sections of highways by farmers, the government announced on February 1 the implementation of “break” work on its new Ecophyto 2030 strategy. Today it presses “read” again. Franceinfo summarizes for you what the text contains, which means “fight against climate change and preserve biodiversity, while giving all farmers the means for this transition”.
The reduction objective maintained
This new strategy maintains the objective of reducing phytosanitary products by 50% by 2030. An objective pursued in vain since the first Ecophyto plan of 2008. To achieve this, the reference period will now be the average of the years 2011-2013 , compared to 2015-2017 previously. This is a reference used within the framework of the new European indicator, in order to“to be sure of ultimately having an effective comparison between member countries”justified the ministry. “There will be a few percent difference, but no fundamental change”adds Corentin Barbu, researcher at the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (Inrae), to franceinfo.
A new indicator for monitoring
Reducing pesticides “will be measured by the Harmonized Risk Indicator 1 (HRI1), calculated by the European Commission, which makes it possible to measure the evolution of the use of active substances by weighting them by their hazard statements”, according to the new Ecophyto plan. Exit Nodu, the previous indicator which was used to measure the use of phytosanitary products, as demanded by farmers, to the great dismay of environmental defense associations.
The HRI1 is an index obtained by multiplying the volumes of active substances sold by “coefficients” supposed to reflect the dangerousness of various pesticides, which does not take into account application doses. “The important thing on the issue of phytosanitary products (…) is to reduce those which we know can produce toxicity”defended Marc Fesneau, the Minister of Agriculture, on franceinfo. “The HRI1 is an extremely poor indicator, it is wrongly sold as a risk indicator”objects Corentin Barbu, author of a scientific pre-publication on the subject.
For NGOs, a “change thermometer” does not reduce fever. Générations Futures denounces the decline “misleading” of pesticides displayed by the HRI1. For its part, the government defends this change in the name of “consistency” European. “I’m not saying that the HRI1 is perfect, but it has the merit of existing”explains Agnès Pannier-Runacher, the minister delegate to the Minister of Agriculture, in La Tribune Sundayconfirming having “asked INRAE to work with its European counterparts to make proposals in order to improve the HRI1 if necessary”. A first assessment will be made “by the end of the year”according to her.
An envelope dedicated to change
The Ecophyto plan aims to “leave no farmer without a solution”. The government therefore adopts the mantra of the FNSEA, the majority union, by claiming to work “in compliance with the principle ‘no ban without solution'”. The document “acts a change of method”by fixing “objectives for reducing risks and uses of plant protection products”, “while giving all farmers the means for this transition”. In this context, 250 million euros are notably dedicated to the search for alternative solutions and to supporting farmers in changing their practices. In detail, it is about “150 million on research and 50 million euros to finance equipment”had detailed Marc Fesneau in The Parisian.
Increased water monitoring
The new strategy also plans to update “the list of priority and sensitive catchments”to better monitor the risks of water pollution, emphasizing that “plant protection products were found at least once in 80% of the measuring points in the groundwater monitoring network”. The ministry wants “target” places “where we approach the thresholds where the water is no longer of the expected quality” And “support farmers to be able to reverse the balance”.
“It costs less to be in prevention than in repair, and return to improving water quality”, argues the ministry to journalists. Between 1980 and 2019, 4,300 drinking water catchments were closed due to pollution, “mainly nitrates and pesticides”according to the report of the parliamentary commission of inquiry, even though water resources are threatened by climate change.
A tool to know your exposure
The new Ecophyto plan also mentions a “information tool on exposure to plant protection products”in order to “protect populations (residents, vulnerable people) including in places open to the public”, we can read in the document. The exposure study, according to the ministry, is “in progress” and the first results are “expected in 2025-2026”.