The associations are calling for an end to the chronic contamination by pesticides that puts people at risk when they go out into their gardens, drink water, or when their children go to school. They regret the lack of transparency and information about the spread of these products. Before spreading, people are not informed and if they are absent, they are not aware that their laundry, children’s toys, and the fruits and vegetables they grow are affected.
The poison control center advises cleaning everything: fruits and vegetables, outdoor furniture, and toys. The Minister of Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu, assured that this is not a step backward but a temporary pause, and reiterated the goal of reducing pesticides by 50% by 2030. Alerte Pesticides Haute Gironde demands environmentally friendly viticulture practices, especially since an incident in 2014 at Villeneuve-de-Blaye (Gironde) where a teacher and twenty students suffered severe discomfort after the spreading of phytosanitary products.
The association Avenir Santé Environnement was founded following an increase in cases of blood diseases and cancers, especially among children, in the area around La Rochelle.