Sugar beet growers in France say a surprise decision to conclusively ban the use of neonicotinoids – insecticides that are harmful to pollinators and to overall biodiversity – amounts to a breach of trust by the government that will completely derail one of the country’s biggest industries.
Farmers were weeks away from sowing beet seeds treated with neonicotinoids when Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau on Monday announced that France would no longer circumvent EU laws that have forbidden their use since 2018.
