France Reopens the Door to Bee-Harming Pesticides in New Blow to Biodiversity

France has opened the door to the temporary use of two insecticides that environmentalists and beekeepers warn could put bees and other pollinators at risk.

The controversial measure forms part of France’s new agricultural emergency law. It allows the country’s food and environmental safety agency, ANSES, to consider temporary exemptions for acetamiprid and flupyradifurone, two insecticides that are banned from use in France.

The decision has renewed a long-running debate over how agriculture can protect crops without placing further pressure on biodiversity.

For conservationists, the issue extends far beyond honey production. Bees and other insects play a vital role in pollinating plants and supporting healthy ecosystems.

Why are bees at risk?

Bees are already facing multiple pressures.

Climate change is altering flowering times and weather patterns. Habitat loss is reducing the availability of wildflowers and nesting sites. Parasites and diseases can weaken colonies. Pesticides add another potential source of stress.

Carolyn Bouguet, a beekeeper in Essonne near Paris, said:

“There are no words to describe the frustration,”

She added:

“Bee populations have already been badly compromised by climate change, new parasites and loss of habitat. And now this.”

These pressures can interact.

A bee colony weakened by poor nutrition or disease may be less able to withstand exposure to pesticides. At the same time, the loss of wildflower-rich habitats can leave pollinators with fewer sources of food.

Protecting bees therefore means addressing the wider health of the ecosystems they depend upon.

What are acetamiprid and flupyradifurone?

Acetamiprid is a neonicotinoid insecticide. Neonicotinoids affect the nervous systems of insects and have been associated with harmful effects on bees.

ANSES says that France has prohibited the use of neonicotinoids and has also banned flupyradifurone and sulfoxaflor because they have a mode of action similar to the neonicotinoid family.

The new legislation does not create unrestricted approval for the two substances. Instead, it establishes a system under which ANSES can consider temporary derogations for particular agricultural uses. The final agreement limits the proposed uses, including acetamiprid for hazelnuts and flupyradifurone for certain applications involving sugar beet, apples and cherries.

Environmental groups argue that even limited exemptions could expose pollinators and wider ecosystems to additional risks.

How can pesticides affect bees?

Pesticides do not always have to kill an insect immediately to cause ecological harm.

Exposure can affect behaviour, feeding, movement and reproduction. For bees, changes to navigation and foraging can make it harder for individuals to find food and return to their colonies.

These effects matter because pollinators are closely connected to the wider natural world.

Bees visit flowers to collect nectar and pollen. In doing so, they transfer pollen between plants and help many wild plants and crops reproduce.

When pollinator populations decline, the consequences can extend beyond individual bee colonies.

Henri Clément, a beekeeper in southern France and spokesperson for the French beekeeping association UNAF, described the measure as:

“an absolute disaster for our sector, and for biodiversity as a whole”.

He warned:

“It’s just incomprehensible these pesticides have been reauthorised. We’ve been fighting them for 30 years. It’s scandalous, irrational and irresponsible.”

Pollinators are part of a much bigger ecosystem

Honeybees are only one part of the story.

Wild bees, hoverflies, butterflies, moths and other insects also contribute to pollination. Many of these species have different nesting requirements and feeding habits, making them vulnerable to changes in farmland and surrounding habitats.

Pesticides can also affect organisms beyond their intended targets.

Concerns have been raised about impacts on soil ecosystems, aquatic environments and other insects. This matters because healthy ecosystems depend upon complex relationships between plants, insects, fungi, birds and other wildlife.

When one part of that system is weakened, there can be consequences throughout the food web.

Farmers face a difficult challenge

The debate is not simply about farmers versus environmentalists.

Farmers need effective ways to protect crops from pests and disease. Crop failures can threaten livelihoods and food production.

Supporters of the French measure argue that some growers are struggling to compete with producers elsewhere in Europe where the substances remain permitted.

France’s largest farmers’ union, the FNSEA, welcomed the legislation as:

“a major milestone and a victory for French farmers”

Agriculture minister Annie Genevard said it would provide:

“real and tangible solutions”

The legislation is intended to provide farmers with limited options in exceptional circumstances.

However, conservationists argue that agricultural policy should focus more strongly on alternatives that protect crops while reducing harm to biodiversity.

A warning from the beekeeping community

Beekeepers say they have already seen the consequences of environmental pressures on bee colonies.

Yves Delaunay, a beekeeper in the Vendée region, described the impact he experienced after neonicotinoids were introduced in the 1990s.

He said honey production:

“went from 80kg per hive to 5kg”

He also described how colonies:

“collapsed”.

Delaunay told local media:

“In just a few days, we went from 70,000 bees to 20,000,”

He said:

“They were disoriented, unable to return to the hive. We found them dead everywhere. It was a huge loss.”

Individual experiences cannot explain every change in bee populations. Climate change, habitat loss, parasites, disease and changes in farming practices can all contribute to pollinator decline.

But they highlight why protecting pollinators requires a broad approach to environmental management.

Bees are an important warning sign for nature

Bees can act as an early warning of wider environmental problems.

Carolyn Bouguet said France had once been:

“a model”

for other countries when it banned neonicotinoids.

She argued that research shows pesticides can affect not only insects but also soil ecosystems and potentially human health.

Her broader warning was:

“Bees are the canary in the environmental coalmine,”

She added:

“Their health is a huge indicator of what’s happening in the natural world. Protecting bees means protecting life. Protecting life means protecting our future.”

The health of pollinators is closely linked to the health of the landscapes around them.

Wildflower meadows, hedgerows, woodland edges and healthy soils can provide food and shelter for insects. Protecting these habitats can reduce some of the pressures facing pollinators and increase the resilience of ecosystems.

What does the decision mean for biodiversity?

The long-term consequences of the new legislation will depend partly on how the derogation system is used and what safeguards ANSES applies.

The law requires applications to meet specific conditions. The intended framework includes exceptional circumstances, limited periods and consideration of alternatives and environmental and health risks.

But environmental groups remain concerned.

The French petition platform records a new initiative seeking a referral of the legislation to the Constitutional Council. The petition argues that the safeguards around the two insecticides should be examined against France’s environmental charter and the precautionary principle.

The debate is likely to continue.

Protecting bees means protecting habitats

The controversy in France highlights a much bigger question.

How can we produce enough food while creating agricultural landscapes where wildlife can thrive?

Protecting pollinators requires more than focusing on individual pesticides. It means restoring wildflower-rich habitats, protecting hedgerows, improving soil health and creating connected landscapes where insects can feed, nest and reproduce.

Farmers also need practical alternatives that allow them to protect crops without increasing pressure on already declining wildlife.

A healthy agricultural landscape should not have to choose between food production and nature.

With the right approach, farms can become important parts of the wider ecological network.

Why pollinator protection matters

Bees and other pollinators are essential parts of functioning ecosystems.

Their decline is not simply a problem for beekeepers or honey production. It is a warning that the natural systems supporting plants, insects, birds and other wildlife are under increasing pressure.

France’s decision has once again placed pesticides and pollinator protection at the centre of the debate.

But the wider lesson is clear: protecting nature means protecting the relationships that allow ecosystems to function.

From wildflower meadows to farmland, forests and gardens, giving pollinators space to thrive can help rebuild healthier ecosystems for wildlife and people alike.

Protecting Pollinators and Restoring Nature

At Natural World Fund, we believe nature recovery means creating healthy habitats where pollinators and other wildlife can thrive. By restoring wildflower-rich landscapes, protecting habitats and rebuilding biodiversity, we can help strengthen the natural systems that support life. Protecting pollinators is not just about saving bees. It is about rebuilding nature itself.