Water storage, pesticides: why is France’s new farming bill controversial

A controversial new farming bill implementing a number of major changes has been definitively adopted following a Senate vote yesterday (July 21).

Notable points include changes to water storage, the re-legalisation of certain pesticides, and relaxations on hunting wolves.

The emergency farming bill (loi d'urgence agricole) was promised following widespread farmer protests at the end of 2025 and start of 2026.

It passed by 296 votes to 224 in a hotly-contested debate in the Assemblée nationale on Monday (July 20).

Left-wing MPs voted en masse against the bill, but it was backed by the far-right Rassemblement National, as well as members of the right-wing Les Républicains and around two-thirds of the government’s centrist faction.

Senators approved the bill by a wider margin of 214 to 111 on Tuesday, allowing for its definitive adoption. 

The Senate is the source of some of the bill’s most contentious elements, added via amendments in earlier readings of the text.

Members of the government’s own Renaissance party, including former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, expressed anger, however, after the government struck down their ability to table amendments. 

“Why... was it said that the Assembly could make the final call on this issue? And yet tonight, without explanation from the government, we learn that this isn't the case,” he said.

Minister for Ecological Transition Monique Barbut has handed in her resignation following the definitive passing of the bill. However, it may be refused by the president, forcing her to continue in the post.

Below, we summarise the main points of the bill. 

Expanded farmer rights for water storage and management 

A major demand of protesting farmers last winter, the bill aims to ease the pathway for agricultural workers and businesses to build water storage facilities, including in wetland areas. 

The application process timeline is to be significantly reduced, including the cutting back of public hearings during the environmental authorisation phase of planning, and reduced compensation payouts by farmers for projects in wetlands.

Ultimately, the bill seeks for the volume of water stored in the sector to be doubled by 2035.

Coming amid an exceptional drought with most areas of France subject to water restrictions or alerts, it has been met with anger by several groups, who argue it could lead to ‘water wars’. 

“This bill validates the monopolisation of water by the agribusiness industry... Tensions over water usage will only intensify,” agriculture campaigner at Greenpeace France Julien Rivoire told FranceInfo. 

In addition to increased storage, the bill aims to increase the influence of the agriculture sector on water management. 

More representatives of the industry will be included in water management bodies, and control of the state’s water agencies – currently the responsibility of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition – will be expanded to involve the ministries of Agriculture, the Economy, Health, and Regional Planning. 

This amendment, added to the bill in the Senate through an earlier reading, has caused friction within the government. 

“What bothers me is that this bill, which was intended to address an urgent situation for our farmers… has been altered to fundamentally change the policy governing how water resources are shared in our country,” said Minister for Ecological Transition Monique Barbut to La Tribune Dimanche. 

These comments were made before the Senate vote, and before Ms Barbut handed in her resignation. 

Finally, the bill focuses on protecting 'priority' water sources from pollution, but campaigners fear this could leave other water sources more vulnerable to contamination.

A Senate amendment to the text allows for the suspension of a tax against farmers and agricultures using certain pesticides, that is paid directly to water agencies to deal with pollution. 

Re-introduction of two banned pesticides 

Another contentious element of the bill is the reintroduction of two pesticides that are currently banned in France, acetamiprid and flupyradifurone. 

Wider use of the pesticides remains banned, but the law allows France’s health agency Anses (Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail) to authorise them for certain agricultural subsectors for a limited period.

This includes for example hazelnut farmers, who say the ban has led to widespread crop failure. 

The re-legalisation of acetamiprid – an insecticide containing neonicotinoids – was included in 2025’s loi Duplomb, another farming bill, but was struck down by France’s Constitutional Council and removed from the final text.

Proponents of the insecticide’s use point towards France being the only EU country to ban the pesticide.

However, the EU regularly reassesses pesticide use, with the current regulatory period for acetamiprid ending in 2033.

Growing evidence against acetamiprid, citing its effect on bee populations and as a potential carcinogen for humans, means the EU is expected to ban it during the next assessment. 

Left-wing MPs cited that several medical societies have called for the ban to be upheld.

Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard backs the partial reintroduction of the pesticides – and the wider bill as a whole. 

“Acetamiprid has not been reinstated in this text," she said regarding the bill following the vote on Monday.

“It will be up to Anses, provided there is no impact on human health or the environment, and that there is an emergency situation and no alternative, to decide on a time-limited derogation for a single sector and a very limited area of farmland,” she added. 

Easing of restrictions on wolf hunting 

Reflecting the change in EU protection status for wolves (from strict to standard protections), the bill will make it easier for farmers to protect livestock from wolves. 

This includes the authorisation of defensive tools such as night-vision or thermal-imaging sights by farmers. 

It also removes the need for prior authorisation to shoot wolves in defence of domestic animals which can now be protected regardless of if and where wolves attack. 

Criteria for the maximum number of wolves that can be culled have increased – ultimately allowing for more wolves to be killed – and farmers that do not fill their ‘quota’ for killing wolves can carry this over to the next season. 

Easier construction process for large livestock projects

The bill further aims to ease the administrative process for building large buildings or modernising facilities used for major livestock rearing, by giving the government the ability to grant special environmental authorisation for such projects. 

Critics say this will lead to an increase in intensive farming, after the loi Duplomb already included a first round of measures making it launch such projects and build associated buildings. 

Harsher penalties for lawbreakers that target farmers 

New penalties for theft at agricultural sites and for acts of vandalism, including damage to the water storage infrastructure mentioned above, are included in the bill.

These will carry maximum penalties of a five-year prison term and a €75,000 fine.

This partly looks to target environmental activists who are against the new storage facilities.

In addition, farmers will be able to claim damages if project plans get bogged down in repeated legal challenges. 

Regulation of price measures 

The bill aims to protect farmers selling their goods by prioritising production cost coverage, established by several groups. 

These will be used by all sellers, preventing certain producers from undercutting others and establishing a form of minimum price. 

There will also be more allowance for ‘price tunnels’, setting minimum and maximum prices for goods during commercial negotiations. This has already been trialled with some beef products.

Improve food sovereignty 

Finally, the law looks to earmark funding and support for ‘future agricultural projects’ that will improve French and European food sovereignty. 

Certain measures will see public canteens required to purchase all ingredients from EU producers, and all products including meat to indicate the origin of the produce. 

Canteens must already indicate the origin of all meat used, as must restaurants.

This comes in light of the EU-Mercosur free-trade deal earlier this year between the two blocs, linking the EU market with several South American countries. 

France ultimately voted against the bill following pressure from farmers, but the measure passed due to wider support in the bloc, particularly from Germany and Spain. 

Farmers fear an influx of cheap produce from South America, particularly grains and beef. 

Prime minister says ‘bill must not be used for political ends’

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu welcomed the passage of the bill but said it must “not be used for political ends,” on social media on Tuesday before the Senate vote. 

“The difficult situation of farmers, worsened by the drought, requires emergency decisions… Producing more in France means protecting our farmers, strengthening our food sovereignty, and, in the end, preserving the purchasing power of the French.

“One cannot say at the agriculture show in February that we love our farmers, and in July instrumentalise for political ends a law that is useful for our food sovereignty.”