A duel in the . . . French government is shaking up Europe’s food and farming sector, turning the Continent’s political tide against chemical herbicides and pesticides used by most farmers.
The protagonists are in President François Hollande’s inner circle: Agriculture Minister Stéphane Le Foll, . . . and Energy and Environment Minister Ségolène Royal. . . .
In early 2016 Le Foll, . . . had the upper hand in . . . France’s policy toward agrichemicals. While they were not to be used excessively, Le Foll argued, such products were a necessary part of the commercial farmer’s toolkit. . .
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France then shocked farmers by becoming the only EU state, besides Malta, to vote against renewing an EU license for glyphosate. . . .
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The decision. . . came down to Hollande himself . . . By handing [Royal] a major policy win, [Hollande] turned his back on farmers — and made the risky bet that Green voters will back a possible reelection bid next year.
Asked about the argument, Le Foll told POLITICO that Royal had ultimately pulled rank on him. . .
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Meanwhile, French farmers are at a loss. If glyphosates are banned. . . they will have to use . . . replacement products that will . . . have a larger environmental impact.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: French cabinet’s battle Royal upends EU food policy
