France's far-right has moved from a stance against agrochemicals to advocating for them, signaling a major shift in their environmental policy.
Clément Guillou reports for Le Monde.
In short:
- Marine Le Pen's party, historically against the use of agrochemicals, has adopted a pro-pesticide stance since 2021.
- The Rassemblement National now opposes stringent environmental regulations, prioritizing agricultural production over ecological concerns.
- This change aligns the far-right with traditional right-wing views, challenging previous environmental commitments.
Key quote:
""Look at pesticides, herbicides and other phytosanitary product, whose economic results are undoubtedly negative once all the side effects are taken into account."
— Marine Le Pen, in a 2017 speech
Why this matters:
For humans, prolonged exposure to certain pesticides has been linked to a range of health issues, from acute effects like nausea and dizziness to more severe, chronic outcomes including respiratory problems, endocrine disruption, and even cancer. Agricultural workers and people living near farms are particularly at risk, though residues on food can expose the general population as well.
Pesticides are becoming increasingly toxic for the world's most important insects.
