The excessive use of pesticides has brought about numerous disastrous
effects on the environment, and among them, it has recently drastically reduced
the bee population in various areas of the world. Yet, not many countries took remedial
measures, even after realizing the dangers, but this was not the case with
France.
It is on track to becoming the first European country to ban five
pesticide varieties, as scientists believe that these neonicotinoids are
extremely dangerous since they kill bees.
However, while bee-keepers and environmentalists are extremely happy
with this decision, sugar beet and cereal farmers are not very excited about
it, since they are afraid that in this way, their crops will be more prone to
pests and insects.
This ban actually moves beyond the apparent boundaries set by the
European Union, as only three neonicotinoids had been outlawed by the EU, and
the country banned all five of them, and not only in indoor fields but within
greenhouses as well.
Researchers have even shown that these pesticides lead to the
mysterious “colony collapse disaster” among bees in Europe, which made Britain
agree with the ban, even though it had initially opposed it.
The bees have actually become addicted to these harmful pesticides,
just like we become addicted to nicotine and other similar substances. The
synthetic neonicotinoids have a similar structure to that of nicotine, and they
attack their central nervous systems.
Neonicotinoids are the most commonly used pesticides these days, and
they were introduced as a replacement for the even more harmful pesticides used
in the past. These addictive chemicals were found to mess with the sperm count
of the male bees, reduce their memory and ability to return home.
However, this ban was opposed by some angry French farmers, who believe
that there is not enough substantial evidence to connect the pesticides with
the decline in the bee population.
Also, there were people who maintain that the condition could only
improve if all pesticides were banned. Fabien Van Hoecke, a beekeeper in
Saint-Aloué in Brittany, who lost 86 percent of his bees over the winter, says:
“There are pesticides all over the place. “ While the ban was “a good
thing, it won’t save us.”
He predicts that even though these pesticides will be withdrawn, they
will soon be replaced by others.
Moreover, FNSEA, the largest farming union in France, claimed that such
a ban could cause unfair competition between European producers, and has called
for an exemption of the ban in areas where there’s no adequate alternative.
However, the French public health agency, ANSES, claimed that there are
several sustainable and efficient alternatives which are already operational in
France. Nevertheless, this decision by France has been generally more praised
than criticized.
According to Phys.org:
“The ban pitted French agriculture minister Stephane Travert, who
lobbied for an easing, against environment minister Nicolas Hulot who refused
to back down. Hulot resigned, saying he felt “all alone” in the government on
environmental issues.
Earlier this month, Canada announced plans to phase out clothianidin
and thiamethoxam. The French ban allows for case-by-case exemptions on the use
of acetamiprid until July 1, 2020.”
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