Supporting tomorrow's agriculture: your donations to meet the challenges of the Duplomb Act
Ombline Planes
Director of Communications at Mieux Donner
Reading time: 10 minutes
On 8 July 2025, the French Parliament passed the Duplomb-Menonville Act1by 316 votes to 223.
On the one hand, the farming community is calling for less red tape, controlled production costs and shorter approval procedures to remain competitive in the face of global competition. On the other, any deregulation that moves too quickly risks encouraging greater use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers, intensifying water pollution, weakening biodiversity and exposing consumers to proven health risks.
The law sparked a heated debate: more than 1,000 scientists and health professionals signed an open letter denouncing the “undermining of scientific expertise ” in marketing authorisations and warning of the risks to public health and the environment2. At the same time, a mutualist group and Médecins du Monde sounded the alarm, highlighting the harmful effects of the reintroduction of neonicotinoids and calling on members of parliament to preserve existing health safeguards.3
This vote reopens a major debate: how can we ease the constraints on farms while preserving the quality of our environment and the health of everyone, and above all how, with the support of targeted associations, can we find a sustainable balance to transform the sector in a tangible way?
Duplomb-Menonville Act: strategic issues for agriculture and the environment
Designed to cut red tape and breathe new economic life into the sector, the law introduces three key measures:
Derogatory reintroduction of acetamiprid
Banned in France since 2018, this insecticide from the neonicotinoid family can now be used exceptionally and temporarily, for three years and reviewed each year, when no alternative exists, particularly for beetroot and hazelnuts. 4
Creation of a "Solutions Committee" within Anses
Article 1 establishes a committee responsible for identifying and prioritising alternative methods (biocontrol, integrated pest management, agroecology) before resorting to chemical substances. The aim of this mechanism is to speed up the emergence and spread of residue-free practices, without altering assessment timescales or weakening scientific rigour.
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Creation of a "Solutions Committee" within Anses
Article 3 adapts the nomenclature of facilities classified for environmental protection:
- For poultry, the authorisation threshold is raised from 40,000 to 85,000 head, under a simple registration system.
- For pigs, the threshold has been raised from 2,000 to 3,000 animals.6
These changes allow for the development of larger structures under lighter regulations, without systematic public consultation or in-depth impact studies.
Current impacts of intensive agriculture
Even before the Duplomb-Menonville law came into force,intensive farming and the massive use of plant protection products were already having measurable effects on health, biodiversity and the environment.
Measurable effects of agriculture on health, biodiversity and the environment
- Human health: Pesticide residues in food represent a major health risk. The WHO points out that these molecules can have acute effects (poisoning) and chronic effects (neurological, endocrine or carcinogenic disorders), depending on the levels and methods of exposure.7
- Biodiversity: Pollinating insects, essential to the reproduction of many crops, are under considerable pressure. EFSA reports that many bee and bumblebee populations are in steady decline, largely due to exposure to pesticides. Without these auxiliaries, the FAO estimates an average 30% loss in yields for fruit, vegetables and oilseeds dependent on pollination.7
- Environment and climate: Agriculture contributes around 15% of the European Union’s greenhouse gas emissions , mainly in the form of methane (CH₄) from enteric fermentation by ruminants and nitrous oxide (N₂O) from the application of nitrogen fertilisers. These two gases account for almost 80% of total agricultural emissions.8
These figures show theurgent need to support agro-ecological practices: reducing the use of synthetic pesticides, preserving bee and pollinator insect populations, and reducing nitrous oxide and methane emissions through plant cover and soil management, in order to prepare for a resilient and sustainable agriculture, without which the Duplomb law risks amplifying the excesses of the intensive model.
Impact of intensive livestock farming and consequences of the Duplomb law
Having presented the global effects of intensive farming, let’s now look at how the Duplomb-Menonville law, and in particular Article 3, reinforces the intensive livestock farming model in France.
1 ) Direct consequences
- Reduced environmental control: livestock farms falling under the “registration” regime are no longer subject to an in-depth impact assessment or systematic public consultation.
- Increased animal concentration: allowing larger farms without greater supervision encourages higher volumes of effluent and greenhouse gas emissions, and increases the suffering of animals, which are subjected to high densities and stressful living conditions.
2 ) Increase in pollution
Even before the application of the Duplomb Act, intensive agriculture was already generating several forms of pollution:
- Greenhouse gases
Agriculture accounts for almost 10% of the European Union’s total greenhouse gas emissions, or around 180 MtCO₂e per year. More than 80% of these agricultural emissions come from nitrous oxide (from nitrogen fertilisers) and methane (from enteric fermentation in ruminants).9 - Nitrate pollution of groundwater
According to the EEA, in 2019, 14.1% of groundwater monitoring stations in Europe exceeded the potability threshold of 50 mg NO₃/L set by the Nitrates Directive. These excesses are mainly linked to fertiliser inputs and livestock effluents.10 - Antibiotic resistance
TheEuropean Medicines Agency (EMA) reports that by 2021 antibiotic consumption in veterinary medicine in the EU/EEA will reach 136 mg/PCU (Population Correction Unit), encouraging the emergence of resistant bacteria in livestock farming and, by extension, in humans.11
By relaxing the conditions for setting up and expanding factory farms, Article 3 of the Duplomb-Menonville Act legitimises an intensive model that is taking a heavy toll on the climate, water and public health, precisely where agro-ecological and even plant-based alternatives could reverse the trend. Your donations can fill this gap by funding sustainable solutions.
How NGOs can make a difference
Faced with these challenges, what can non-profit organisations do in practical terms? Mieux Donner directs your contributions to high-impact associations that :
- Support stakeholders in the transition to methods that are both efficient and environmentally friendly.
- Share with donors the results expected from their support (key figures, case studies, impact reports).
The Mieux Donner methodology is structured around three axes
- Rigorous evaluation of evidence : Systematic analysis of scientific publications.
- Independent verification: Reputable external evaluators, such as Giving Green, to validate the reliability of data and ROI calculations.
- Cost-effectiveness analysis: weighing up the sums invested against the tangible results.
By directing your donations to associations selected according to these criteria, you are helping to boost the efficiency of farms and protect public health, precisely where the Duplomb Act poses new challenges.
Better Giving: three practical ways to boost your donations
To take effective action against the excesses of intensive farming and support sustainable, high-impact solutions, we encourage you to direct your donations to these three organisations:
Clean Air Task Force
Objective: reduce methane emissions from agriculture Concrete actions: Research and advocacy on feed additives and manure management techniques to lower enteric CH₄ emissions. Practical guides for decision-makers, showing how targeted practices can reduce methane emissions per farm by 20-30%.
Good Food Institute
Objective: to accelerate the adoption of alternative proteins Concrete actions: State of the Industry" report: free to download, it shows that plant-based substitutes emit up to 90% less greenhouse gases than an equivalent animal product. Subsidy and incubation programmes for start-ups in precision fermentation and cell culture, to democratise these technologies.
The Humane League
Objective: reduce demand for products from intensive farming Concrete actions: Open Wing Alliance: a global coalition that has convinced over 30 major retailers to switch to 100% cage-free eggs. Public campaigns promoting plant-based alternatives and ethical labelling, directly on their website.
By supporting these three organisations, your donations will help to :
- directly reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions,
- offer cleaner and safer food solutions,
- and put pressure on industries to improve animal welfare and limit intensification.
The Duplomb Act opens up a new chapter for French agriculture, with the relaxation of plant protection regulations and the need to adopt more sustainable practices. By selecting associations with proven effectiveness, such as the Clean Air Task Force to reduce methane emissions, the Good Food Institute to develop alternative proteins and The Humane League to reduce animal suffering, youare directly funding solutions that offset the risks of deregulation. Together, let’s turn every euro into a lasting impact on health, biodiversity and the climate.
Notes and references
1. https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/dyn/17/textes/l17b1652_texte-adopte-commission. ↩
2. agro.newstank.fr ↩
3. medecinsdumonde.org ↩
4. publicsenat.fr ↩
5. https://www.senat.fr/rap/l24-185/l24-185_mono.html ↩
6. https://www.pleinchamp.com/actualite/irrigation-pesticides-anses-quels-sont-les-points-clefs-adoptes-ce-mardi-8-juillet-2025-dans-la-loi-duplomb ↩
7. who.int↩
8. eea.europa.eu
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9. https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/european-zero-pollution-dashboards/indicators/nitrate-in-groundwater
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10. https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/indicators/nitrate-in-groundwater-8th-eap↩
11. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653524007239
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