“Atlas of pesticides”: the departments most exposed to pesticides in France

According to an Ipsos poll, 88% of French people consider it desirable to ban pesticides. Aware of the risks associated with the use of pesticides, the Heinrich Böll Foundation, linked to the German political party The Greens, decided to publish the Atlas of pesticides.

According to Liberation, this atlas is the result of cooperation between the German foundation, Friends of the Earth Europe, BUND and several French organizations (Future Generations, Nourrir, etc.). The French version of the book, enriched with several chapters, is published this Tuesday, May 16, 2023.

And the observation is clear: it is necessary “to alert to the omnipresence of pesticides in our environment, to point out their dangers and to alert to the shortcomings of public power”, explains Jules Hébert, deputy director of the Paris office of the Heinrich Boll Foundation.

Since 1990, the amount of pesticides used worldwide has increased by 80%. The European Union is one of the world’s largest pesticide markets with almost a quarter of global sales. France is the leading buyer in Europe. A first place which is explained by the large French agricultural area: some 30 million hectares of exploitation.

However, France is among the most permissive countries when it comes to pesticides: it is the third European country that authorizes the most active substances. According to Future Generations, the number of substances authorized in France is 32% higher than the European average.

However, the active ingredients of pesticides are volatile: they can seep into soil and groundwater, be carried through the air, or fly away. Some ingredients can be found more than 1,000 kilometers from the place of application, according to Future Generations. Discover in our slideshow below which departments are most exposed to pesticides.