On 14 March 2025, at the call of the Support Collective for the Victims of Pesticides (Collectif de Soutien aux Victimes des Pesticides), people gathered outside the Court of Justice in Rennes (Bretagne) to express solidarity with farmers who developed serious illnesses after using pesticides for years. The protesters called for a ban on all pesticides.

Supply-chain Risk Briefing

1. Summary

On March 14, 2025, a peaceful demonstration demanding pesticide bans occurred in front of the Rennes court in France, led by support groups for pesticide victims. The protesters expressed solidarity with farmers suffering from serious illnesses due to long-term pesticide use and called for cessation of all pesticide usage. The current risk level is low with no immediate supply-chain disruptions, but pressure for agricultural policy changes is expected to continue.

2. Supply-chain impact

• French agricultural production: The Brittany region is a major French agricultural area, and strengthened pesticide regulations could lead to decreased grain and vegetable production volumes and quality fluctuations
• Agrochemical industry: Concerns over deteriorating market access for pesticide manufacturers and distributors in France, particularly requiring European agrochemical supply-chain restructuring if regulations spread across the EU
• Food processing industry: Increased instability in raw agricultural material supply leading to rising procurement costs for food manufacturers and pressure to seek alternative supply sources
• Logistics and distribution: Need for adjustment of existing distribution networks' inspection and storage systems due to changes in agricultural product quality standards

3. Watch points

• Policy trends: Need to track whether the French government and EU-level pesticide regulation strengthening bills are pursued and their implementation timelines
• Farmer organization reactions: Required monitoring of farmers' union opposition protests or alternative demand movements due to agricultural productivity concerns