Local residents are overexposed to pesticides. The pestiriv study published Monday, September 15 by two health agencies showed that they were more imbued than the other French. It reveals the presence of 56 substances in urine and hair, as well as in the outer air, dust and air of houses or orchards. And children are particularly worried.
Viticulture represents about 3% of the agricultural area in France, but 12.7% of pesticide purchases, according to the profession cited by AFP. However, the president of the National Committee of Wine Interprofession (CNIV) ensures that it is “the most advanced agricultural sector in this transformation of the use of pesticides”, with the increase of organic and the search for alternatives to synthetic pesticides.
Why do we treat the vines so much?
In 2019, 18 treatments on average to the Viñedo were applied, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. The official data that offers the geographical origin of pesticide purchases show that the wine departments are largely in the upper part of consumption, such as Gironde or Marne.
The vine is a vulnerable plant. In question, two diseases: Mildiu and Mildiu dusty of the United States and arrived in France at the end of the 19th century. “Before, we do not deal with the vineyard,” reminds BFMTV Laurent Delière, an Inrae engineer (National Institute for Research for Agriculture, Food and the Environment).
Consequently, the treatments used in the VID are 80% of fungicides (the rest consists of herbicides and insecticides) because these fungi “have the ability to destroy the crops,” explains Laurent Delère. In addition, “these diseases have many cycles during the season.” Forcan “preventive and repeated treatments.”
In organic, “there are still treatments”
However, organic wine exists. In fact, some wine growers cultivate their vines without synthetic chemicals and are even more and more numerous, since they now represent 21% of the national vineyard against 6% in 2010, according to the Organic Agency.
However, David Notteghem and Matthieu Simon, organic wines installed in Dordoña, admit: “Organic is a reduction in high yields and production costs.”
To avoid the use of herbicides to mark the floor of the vineyards, under the feet, Laurent Delière explains that “there are alternative methods” but underlines “technical and economic problems for a great deployment.” “We have to equip ourselves with tools to pass under the feet of the vine,” explains David Notteghem. “We spend more time in the tractor, we have the impression of spending our time there, especially in times of heat and humidity,” he says.
On the herbicide side, it is possible to do without it, despite the important limitations. But what about the fungicides used against mold and dusty mold? “Even in organic, there are still treatments, we are not impeccable,” Note Matthieu Simon and David Notteghem.
Organic winemakers actually use sulfur and copper, authorized due to the absence of synthetic molecule (these are of a substance nature). “These natural products are not as effective as synthetic phytosanitary products,” says engineer Laurent Delière. Copper and sulfur do not enter the plant: these are contact products that are called like that.
“The leaves and the skin of the grape land to protect them from the fungi, but they are cleaned under each rain, so it is necessary to retire immediately,” explains David Notteghem. In fact, in organic viticulture, treatments are preventive: there is no possible capture if the disease is there. “We have less means to defend ourselves,” adds Matthieu Simon.
“With that, we surely have a larger carbon footprint than the conventional (no bio, note of the editor) because we often pass with our tractor,” adds his partner David Notteghem.
Better and less extended products
One of the first solutions to limit the use of treatments and their discomfort is to act to spread. According to the Pestiriv study, in times of cultivation treatment, the pollution levels of residents “could increase by up to 60% in urine or according to measured pesticides”, “more than 700% powder, up to” 45 times in the ambient air “.
Even if exposure levels do not exceed anticipated in the authorizations of pesticides, agencies recommend “reduce the use of plants’ protection” to what is necessary.
Another recommendation: inform the inhabitants before the treatments so that they can adapt their behavior: return home, clean the floor, dry the laundry inside … “We use a WhatsApp group with the neighbors to prevent the next treatment,” illustrates, for example, Matthieu Simon and David Notteghem.
In addition, since 2020, the law has established the minimum distance of respect between residences and areas of propagation in the vineyard to ten meters. The NGO Future Generations advocates at least 100 meters.
Meanwhile, new propagation equipment can reduce the amounts of scattered pesticides. “It is a very effective lever,” says Laurent Delière, who underlines the need for additional equipment for farmers and, therefore, “an additional cost and time.”
It is also a matter of better guidance needs. “Particularly for pests, there are indicators that have reduced uses,” said the specialist. According to Bernard Farges, president of the CNIV, the volume of pesticides bought decreased by 8.9% between 2013 and 2024 (+56% of biocontrol and organic agriculture products, -38% of synthetic products).
Other possible treatments?
The CNIV has also insisted on an improvement in sector practices for ten years, also asking pesticide manufacturers to develop their products.
For its part, Phytés, which brings together 18 pesticide producers, including the French subsidiaries of Bayer, BASF or Corteva giants, believes that the Pestiriv study “clearly demonstrates that approval procedures are strict and offer a safe framework for the use of phytopharmaceutical products.”
To avoid overexposure, specialists ask “to try to replace pesticides with natural products without danger for the environment and health.” Laurent Delière quotes in this regard “biocontrol” such as the use of natural products, pheromones against pests or promoting “auxiliary”, such as spiders or mites to limit their populations.
With respect to fungal diseases, the main problem for winemakers, research analyzes “prophylaxis methods” to act in winter when “population tanks are buried in the soil.”
The “future track” of the new hybrid grape varieties
But the greatest hope lies in the development of new more resistant vines. The French vid is very sensitive to the diseases of the United States. On the other hand, on the other hand of the Atlantic, there are varieties with “resistant discomfort.” The idea of scientists and the sector is, therefore, cross them.
Almost 3,000 hectares of these hybrid vines have already been deployed in France. There is a drop from 80 to 90% of the use of fungicides. “You need time, but it is an extremely interesting song, a song for the future,” says Laurent Delière.
However, an important obstacle persists: these new resistant grape varieties are not necessarily adapted to all terroir and, therefore, do not meet the requirements of all wine denominations in the country. “These are varieties that are currently not like those that exist,” explains Laurent Delière.
Therefore, these grape varieties must conquer the wine lovers. But Laurent Delière assures him: “The denominations have realized environmental problems” and resistant varieties are currently authorized in certain denominations on an experimental basis. In addition, new creation programs are being carried out to offer varieties adapted to names.
Especially because reducing the use of phytosanitary products would not only be beneficial for human health and the environment, but also allowing the wines bills to considerably reduce. “He has no one to spread pesticides,” concludes David Notteghem.
Source: BFM TV
