Pesticides: the government presents a favourable assessment thanks to a disputed indicator

In a report presented on Tuesday, 13 May, the National Institute for Agricultural Research torpedoes the European thermometer chosen by the government to measure the use of plant protection products.

The government has announced a 36 per cent decline in the new benchmark for the 2030 Ecophyto strategy over the last decade, but the historical monitoring indicator suggests an increase over the same period.

The Strategic Guidance and Monitoring Committee (SOC), the governance body of the 2030 Ecophyto strategy, which brings together all stakeholders ? representatives of the state, farmers, industry, researchers, elected representatives and associations ? met Tuesday morning in plenary.

ARTICLE. The European index HRI-1 chosen by Gabriel Attal in February 2024 at the expense of the French index used so far, leaves the experts puzzled. The Inrae, the National Research Institute for Agriculture and the Environment, considers it too limited. What to shower the enthusiasm of the government at the announcement of the results presented today?

The reliability of the monitoring indicator crystallizes the Government's record one year after the adoption of the Ecophyto 2030 strategy. The Inrae considers the HRI1 "arbitrary" and sets out ways to improve monitoring of the decline in the use of plant protection products.

Opponents of pesticide poisoning are angry. As the Steering and Monitoring Committee for the Ecophyto 2030 strategy meets on May 13, they denounce France's enormous sacrifices. "A total loss of ambition," chided François Veillerette, spokesperson for the Générations Futures association, in the preamble to the meeting of the Steering and Monitoring Committee (COS) for the Ecophyto 2030 strategy on Tuesday, May 13. "We haven't achieved anything at…