News Glyphosate
France finances farmer who bans glyphosate
The French government wants to provide financial support to farmers who phase out the use of glyphosate, the Ministry of Agriculture said. President Emmanuel Macron sees it as the last option to limit the use of the drug as quickly and as much as possible, after a total ban previously failed.
The plan states that France will grant a temporary tax cut of €2.500 to farmers who report having stopped using glyphosate in 2021 and/or 2022. In addition, the government specifically writes that only the worst affected sectors are eligible for this financial support, which include orchards, grain crops and vineyards. The ministry has also increased the subsidy for equipment adjustments to €215 million.
Significant losses expected
France is deploying plenty of financial resources to convince French farmers to stop using glyphosate. According to the ministers, this plan is the only effective means of combating the drug, because eliminating glyphosate could have significant consequences for the company. As an example, the ministry cites a grain grower who could suffer a loss of up to 16% of gross operating profit as a result of the ban. The additional costs are a maximum of €80 per hectare or €7.000 for an average company of 87 hectares.
The French health and environment agency (Anses) said in early October that from 2021 limitations suggests using glyphosate in agriculture. A complete ban proved unfeasible, as there is a great lack of non-chemical alternatives in several areas. In short: growers can only fall back on the product, better known under the brand name RoundUp, if no alternatives are available.
Kimberly Baker
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