21 May 2026Pesticide taxes, the spread of agroecological practices, bans on importing products grown with pesticides that are not authorized in France… There are many possible ways to significantly reduce pesticide use, but they do not all have the same expected effects on crop yields and farmers’ incomes.
For nearly twenty years, France has been seeking to reduce pesticide use through a series of measures and plans that have so far failed to achieve their initial objectives. Reducing pesticide use remains a priority because recent scientific research increasingly confirms the harmful impacts of pesticides on both human health and biodiversity. In addition, the effectiveness of pesticides can decline over time, while climate change tends to increase their use. But can France achieve a significant reduction in pesticide use without harming the agri-food sectors?
An article written by Julie Subervie (Research Director at INRAE, CEE-M), Alexandre Gohin (INRAE, SMART), Jean-Noël Aubertot (INRAE, AGIR), and Raja Chakir (INRAE, PSAE).
Read the article >>> (in french)