French pesticide reduction plan to rely heavily on research

Plan now out for consultation rows back prime minister’s previous commitment to dropping targets

Research and innovation are central to the French government’s draft plan for the updated Ecophyto programme to reduce pesticide use, which will run from April 2024.

The government’s proposals for ‘Ecophyto II+’, which were announced at a launch event for the consultation process on 30 October but have not yet been published in full, include a target of reducing pesticide use in France by 50 per cent relative to 2015-17 by 2030—a move that contradicts previous government statements.