5 billion in the second instalment of the convertible securitiesThe France will train the gendarmes of Bahrain6 billion for Italian yet barely 10 largerTechnical not political but essential measureswho in a brief press release that it make 30NewsThe European elections are approachingBecause funds are already overloaded read belowThis type of event is it usefulVery usefulAs in Banco Sabadell EUR 7 billion BBVA 5Its net banking product GNP increased by 4Pesticides pose hazards to ecosystems and human health. This is why the European Parliament adopted a directive aimed at limiting their use. In France, a Bill was voted by the Assembly last November, and then by the Senate in early February, with a displayed goal: reduce by half the use of pesticides in ten years. But at no time the text plans to overtax the pesticides to encourage farmers to change their practices. And, without this proactive economic component, one can legitimately fear that the project lead on many little tangible results...
The France stands first in the European and the third world for the use of plant protection products (fungicides, herbicides, etc.), even if their use has decreased since thirty years. Pesticides are used by agriculture to obtain high yields and deliver products "zero defect", in a context of growing food demand. But the adverse effects on ecosystems are unfortunately very real, and epidemiological studies, moreover, showed in recent years that exposure to such products would result in an increase in the prevalence of certain cancers.
The Ecophyto 2018 project aims to develop the France in agreement with the European strategy on the sustainable use of pesticides. It includes many interesting measures: establishment of more precise indicators on the use of pesticides at the local level, of research increased effort to encourage innovative agricultural systems, training and certification of farmers. It recognizes that should accompany the evolution of agriculture in its income now.
These diverse proposals give an impression of seriousness and commitment. But countries that have successfully to changes in agricultural practices in recent years have played a weapon which is not mentioned in the Barnier project: a massive taxation of plant protection products.
The Denmark and the Norway, for example, chose to heavily tax the use of pesticides (between 33 and 54 in the Denmark, approximately 30 Norway). The Denmark, the ambitious goal was similar to that of the France today, reduce the use of these products by half in ten years. It has been achieved in 2000.
Although French agriculture is not directly comparable to that of these countries, it is interesting to note that these have been significantly evolve behaviors and achieved their aim with a tax level very high, while offsetting the shortfall farmers (decrease in property taxes, agricultural Council grant). In addition, taxation is the most efficient from an economic point of view instrument, to achieve such a goal of reducing.
Such a change in the rules of the tax game has not been proposed in France, where it stands at a low fee charged by the agencies of water (less than 10 euros per hectare on average), fear of an immediate lifting of shields phytosanitary industry and farmers.
Are these fears justified The phytosanitary industry is actually directly concerned. As farmers, they may also react strongly in anticipation of a decline in their income if the new taxes were not offset by equivalent subsidies. Plant protection products can reach 25 of the operational and the cereal growers; the increase in the cost of these inputs would be an immediate impact on margins.
But only such taxation would require to question profoundly their practices, because reduction of half of the use of pesticides is concerned is not compatible with the current criteria of performance and quality of products, which means that new systems of production will have to be found for each sector, with strong support from the public authorities in the transition (research in partnership with the agricultural profession)(public aid conditionality, progressive taxes).
A plan of this magnitude requires in any case state maintenance of a relationship of trust between the agricultural profession and the public authorities. It would be a pity that the French political class boot key lack courage, especially if the market situation becomes conducive to agricultural income, allowing to have a unique flexibility to implement ambitious funding of this policy. The alternative: If consider the declarations of intent and observe the ecological situation and our health to deteriorate.
