Beekepers rally to raise awareness of the bill allowing the use of neonicotinoid pesticides, at a market in Toulouse, south-western France, on April 27, 2025. ED JONES/AFP
A student-led petition against a chemical deadly to bees reached more than two million signatures in France on Monday, July 28, increasing pressure on the president not to sign a bill allowing its use into law. The legislation was adopted on July 8, but without a proper debate to bypass gridlock in a bitterly divided parliament.
On July 10, a 23-year-old master's student launched a petition urging the French government to drop the law allowing the reintroduction of acetamiprid, a pesticide that is harmful to ecosystems but popular with many farmers in Europe. Banned in France since 2018, the chemical remains legal in the European Union. The insecticide is particularly sought after by beet and hazelnut growers, who say they have no alternative against pests and face unfair competition.
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French left seeks to latch on to success of petition against pesticides
