Latest news with #neonicotinoids
France 24
4 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
France strikes down return of banned bee-killing pesticide
The so-called "Duplomb law" sparked public anger for permitting a return of acetamiprid -- a chemical known to be toxic to bees and other creatures but relied on by some European farmers. A student-led petition against the bill garnered more than two million signatures after lawmakers adopted it on July 8, with critics saying it was rushed through a divided lower house of parliament without a proper debate. The Constitutional Council said in its ruling that a provision in the bill allowing exemptions to the ban of products containing neonicotinoid chemicals such as acetamiprid would violate France's environmental charter, which has constitutional status. In 2020, the council had granted a temporary exemption to the ban, limited to the beet sector and seed coating. But the ruling said this measure did not give enough detail about how long the pesticides could be used, how they would be applied, or which crops they would affect. The legislature undermined "the right to live in a balanced and healthy environment" enshrined in the charter, the council said. "Neonicotinoids have an impact on biodiversity, in particular on pollinating insects and birds, as well as consequences for water and soil quality, and pose risks to human health," the council said. The Constitutional Council approved two other measures in the law: one allowing for the construction of water storage for agricultural purposes, and another raising thresholds at which pig and poultry farms require prior authorisation. French President Emmanuel Macron took "note" of the ruling, his office said on Thursday. The president will enact the law as soon as possible in a form that takes the ruling into account, the Elysee said. -'Bee-killer'- Banned in France since 2018, acetamiprid remains legal in the European Union, and proponents said that some French farmers needed it to help them compete economically. The insecticide is particularly sought after by beet and hazelnut growers, who say that they have no alternative against pests and face unfair competition. But a petition on France's lower-house National Assembly's website, which garnered more than 2.1 million signatures, called the measure a "frontal attack on public health". Beekeepers have described the chemical as "a bee killer", and its possible effects on humans are also a source of concern, though its risk remains unclear in the absence of large-scale studies. For some opponents, frustration stretched beyond environmental and health concerns to exasperation over the country's political deadlock. One supporter of the petition called it "democratic revenge" after Macron forced a controversial pension reform through parliament in 2023 and dissolved the lower chamber last year, sparking political turmoil that resulted in a hung parliament. In late June, before the law's passage, several thousand demonstrators — including farmers, environmental organisations and scientists -- rallied across France calling for the bill to be withdrawn.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
French authority overrules plan to reintroduce banned pesticide
France's top constitutional authority has ruled that a controversial measure to allow the reintroduction of a banned pesticide harmful to ecosystems is unconstitutional. The Constitutional Council said that exemptions to the ban on products containing neonicotinoids would violate France's environmental charter, which constitutionally guarantees the 'right to live in a balanced and healthy environment'. This is a breaking news update; more details soon.
Free Malaysia Today
12-06-2025
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
Traces of insecticides detected in rainwater in Japan
Japanese researchers say certain insecticides are also present in rainwater. (Envato Elements pic) PARIS : Pesticides don't just contaminate the air humans breathe or the food they eat. According to recent research conducted in Japan, certain insecticides are also present in rainwater. Scientists at Japan's University of Tokyo recently made a worrying discovery. Residues of several insecticides belonging to the well-known neonicotinoid family have been detected in rainwater. In Japan, neonicotinoids were introduced on a large scale in the 1990s, particularly in rice fields and pine forests. To reach this conclusion, the scientists collected and analysed rainwater samples from the cities of Tsukuba and Kashiwa, both located northeast of Tokyo. Their analyses were carried out between April 2023 and September 2024. They reveal that 91% of samples contained several insecticides from the neonicotinoid family. The highest total concentration was detected in August 2024, the study authors note. Acetamiprid is the predominant insecticide, having been identified in 82% of samples, followed by thiacloprid (73%) and dinotefuran (45%), two other insecticides from the neonicotinoid family. 'This research is the first report on neonicotinoid presence in precipitation, suggesting that neonicotinoids, as low volatile matter, can still be dispersed to the environment via precipitation,' warned the researchers, whose work is published in the journal Environmental Monitoring and Contaminants Research. Potential effects on human health In 2019, another study (also conducted by researchers at the University of Tokyo), published in the journal Science, explained in detail how the large-scale use of neonicotinoids contributed to the destruction of several species of fish, crustaceans, and zooplankton in Lake Shinji (southwestern Japan). Starting in 1993, several rice farmers began spraying imidacloprid on their fields. According to the study, the introduction of this insecticide in areas geographically close to the lake coincided with an 83% decrease in the average zooplankton biomass. While the harmful effects of neonicotinoids on insects (particularly bees) and several other animal species are increasingly well documented, doubts remain about their impact on human health. Given that neonicotinoids target the nervous system, scientists fear (among other things) that exposure to these substances may be linked to neurological disorders. However, these risks remain uncertain at present due to a lack of large-scale studies on the subject.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists shaken by alarming discovery inside collapsing bee colonies — here's what they found
The honey bee population continues to decline at an alarming rate, putting our access to food at risk. Neonicotinoid pesticides negatively impact honey bee health, as the chemicals have been found to slow the insect's ability to forage pollen, according to a study from Environmental Science and Technology. While the pesticide doesn't immediately increase bee mortality rates, the researchers stated that pollen foraging is crucial to brood development; thus, decreased foraging impacts colony health. Meanwhile, the honey bee colonies continue to shrink, so any threat to colony health exacerbates this issue. In March, Washington State University researchers found that commercial honey bee colony losses in the U.S. could reach 60-70% in 2025. Bees are one of our most important pollinators, meaning they fertilize our plants and crops. Without them, about 35% of global crop production is at risk, according to the World Economic Forum. As crop yields become more unpredictable due to rising temperatures causing extreme weather, declining bee populations further impact our global food supply chain. These environmental stressors have led to scarce harvests, which can lead to high costs at the grocery store and decreased access to our favorite ingredients. Beyond assisting the global agricultural industry, bees are critical to our diverse ecosystem because they help pollinate plants and flowers that beautify our communities. We may not be able to stop declining bee populations overnight, but there are ways we can combat the issue at both a mass scale and an individual level. The University of Georgia Bee Program has suggestions for food growers to protect pollinators, including tips for strategically timing the use of certain pesticides so that bees are less likely to be exposed to them or using less toxic pesticides. In an article for the Tahoe Daily Tribune, Cal Orey, an author who has interviewed beekeepers about colony collapses, also pointed to the importance of supporting researchers working to protect our bees. Individuals can also ensure that their yards and gardens are friendly to pollinators. This can be done by avoiding pesticides, growing flowering native plants, and providing hydration for bees, just to name a few examples. Which of these groups has the biggest role to play in reducing food waste? Grocery stores Restaurants Individuals The government Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
