Green groups in France have slammed the government's move to suspend its Ecophyto programme cutting down on pesticides used in agriculture as a "major step backwards", reports RFI.
The measure was among several concessions made to farmers on Thursday as the government sought to calm more than a week of protests.
Farmers unions called for an end to blockades after they obtained significant concessions – including an annual 150 million euros for livestock farmers and a ban on food imports treated with neonicotinoid, a pesticide already banned in France.
The government agreed to suspend "Ecophyto 2030" – part of France's plan to shift agricultural production towards the principles of agro-ecology. The plan aimed to halve the use of pesticides by 2030.
"We are going to put it on pause in order to rework a certain number of aspects and to simplify it," agriculture minister Marc Fesneau said.
Ecophyto needed to be put on hold in order to find a new method of measuring the molecules in pesticides used by farmers, prime minister Gabriel Attal said.
Agricultural organisations – including France's largest farming union, FNSEA – are strongly opposed to Ecophyto, which measures both the quantities and strength of pesticides used.
However environmental groups warned the governments concessions were at odds with France's strategy on decarbonisation, food and agricultural planning.
The suspension of Ecophyto is "a huge step backwards", said Nadine Lauverjat, of the Générations Futures non-profit.