Farmer seeks compensation for pesticide damage

Amandine Dupuy, a farmer in Eure-et-Loir, France, is seeking compensation after her organic sarrisin crop was contaminated by the pesticide prosulfocarbe in 2021. The contamination destroyed her entire harvest, making it unsuitable for sale or consumption.

Pesticide spreads easily across fields

Prosulfocarbe, which became the most consumed herbicide in France in 2024, is highly volatile and can travel several kilometers through the air. This characteristic allows it to drift onto non-target crops, such as sarrisin and apples, which are harvested in autumn, leading to widespread contamination.

Insurance denies claims due to unclear responsibility

Amandine’s insurance company refused to cover her losses because it was unclear which neighbor was responsible for the contamination. This is a common issue, as the pesticide’s volatility makes it difficult to trace the source, leaving farmers without compensation and sometimes losing their organic certification.

Legal battle against the state continues

Amandine initiated legal proceedings against the French government in February 2022, seeking compensation and recognition of her emotional distress. The case has been ongoing for over three years, with the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (Anses) issuing three memoranda in defense of the state.

Pesticide contamination affects many farmers

According to the Federation of Organic Agriculture (Fnab), nearly 400 harvests were contaminated by prosulfocarbe between 2018 and 2024, resulting in the loss of 550 tonnes of sarrisin between 2020 and 2022. These figures highlight the scale of the issue facing organic farmers in the region.

New rules face criticism from farmers

The French government has introduced stricter regulations on prosulfocarbe, including a ban on its use within 1 kilometer of non-target crops and the use of specialized nozzles to reduce drift. However, Amandine Dupuy argues these rules are not practical and are frequently ignored by some farmers.

Another farmer secures compensation

Guillaume Cohu, an organic farmer from Orne, successfully obtained compensation from the state for losses due to pesticide contamination. However, the state has appealed the decision, and a hearing date has yet to be set. This case has influenced some farmers to change their harvesting schedules to minimize contamination risks, though this often leads to lower yields.

Farmer advocates for better pesticide management

Amandine Dupuy remains active in environmental and agricultural advocacy, believing that better training in agronomic techniques could reduce pesticide use. She criticizes the government for lacking the political will to implement meaningful changes in pesticide regulation.