Besançon: Reintroduction of neonicotinoids: Beekeepers denounce a step backwards

Around thirty members of the Doubs Beekeeping Union (SAD) gathered this Tuesday, May 7, in front of the Besançon Beekeeping Center. Despite their protective gear, they weren't there to harvest honey, but to demonstrate. The object of their protest: the proposed Duplomb law. This bill seeks to "remove constraints on practicing farming" and provides for the exceptional, regulated, and temporary reauthorization of neonicotinoid insecticides authorized in the European Union for certain sectors. Among these neonicotinoids: acetamiprid, banned in France since 2018 due to its harmfulness to the environment and health.

The bill was approved by the Senate on January 27 and is currently being examined by the National Assembly, provoking the anger of many beekeepers . "It's not just bees that are in danger, but also all of biodiversity and humanity. Because what we put into nature, we eat a good part of it," insists Michel Mesnier, president of the SAD.

These insecticides pose a threat to pollinators, particularly bees, which will forage up to three kilometers from their hives. "Neonicotinoids attack the bees' neurological system. They lose their sense of direction and can no longer return to the hive," adds Gérard Simplot, the vice-president. These lost bees, he explains, therefore no longer bring back pollen and nectar, and can no longer feed their brood. The weakened colony therefore risks dying of cold in winter.

"We're experiencing a real regression; it's unacceptable," emphasized Fabienne Brauchli, deputy mayor for green spaces and biodiversity, who came to represent the mayor of Besançon. "It's our collective health and the health of the planet that are at stake."

An opinion shared by the MP for the ^2nd constituency of Doubs, Dominique Voynet , represented by parliamentary assistant Nathan Sourisseau. "All Green parliamentarians are mobilizing to ensure that the Duplomb bill does not pass. We consider it to be contrary to current agricultural issues."

The National Assembly's Sustainable Development Committee, the parliamentary assistant points out, gave an unfavorable opinion on the project that very morning. A minor victory, given that the review is attached to the Economic Affairs Committee, but one that supports the beekeepers' fight.