France blocks reintroduction of acetamiprid

Breteau’s story highlights broader fears about pesticide safety and environmental health in France.

Cancer patient fuels French movement against pesticide reintroduction

On a day MPs approved the reintroduction of acetamiprid, Fleur Breteau rose from the public gallery to say lawmakers were supporters of cancer. She lost her hair during chemotherapy for breast cancer, and her words helped boost a petition against the Duplomb law to more than two million signatures. Later, France’s constitutional court blocked the government plan, ruling that it undermined the right to live in a balanced and healthy environment.

Breteau, now leading the Cancer Colère collective, says the fight goes beyond a single law. The health crisis framing is geometric: cancer cases have risen sharply since 1990 even as smoking and drinking have fallen. Acetamiprid is a neonicotinoid banned in France since 2018 but still used elsewhere in Europe and in the United Kingdom. The government has urged a Europe wide health assessment while farmers and chemical makers defend the product as low risk. Officials emphasize that the issue blends science, policy and public concern and that a careful, transparent review is needed.

Breteau plans to keep campaigning with leaflets outside hospitals in September to explain the risks she sees. She argues that ordinary people bear the burden of a system that treats health as negotiable and politics as a battlefield. The court decision marks a moment of restraint, but activists say the broader fight over pesticides and safety will continue to shape policy in France and beyond.

This case shows how health fears can energize environmental policy and reshape political discourse. Personal stories cut through abstract data and push lawmakers to confront complex tradeoffs between farming livelihoods and public health. The court ruling reframes the debate as a constitutional issue about environmental rights, which could influence other regulatory battles ahead. It also exposes the friction between scientific uncertainty and political action, a tension that often fuels both activism and industry pushback.

The episode reveals how citizen activism can change the tone and tempo of policy. Cancer Colère quickly grew from a handful of patients to a broad movement that plans direct action at hospitals. That kind of strategy can widen public support but also invites scrutiny over how cancer narratives are used in policy fights. For policymakers, the challenge is to balance credible risk assessment with timely protections, while ensuring farmers have viable options and communities are not left in limbo.

Highlights

The debate is far from over and the next steps will test how France blends science, health and politics.