In June 2025, Mediapart revealed that BASF’s plant in Genay (near Lyon) still housed stocks of the insecticide Fastac, which has been banned in France since October 31, 2020. Despite this ban—and a broader European Union ban on its active ingredient, α-cypermethrin, in place since 2021—the pesticide continues to be stored and exported to countries such as Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Belarus.
Below is the press release from the Confédération Paysanne, a member of La Via Campesina in France.
BANNED PESTICIDES: BASF attempts to cover up a proven scandal, the State must react
On June 23, 2025, a citizen inspection of voluntary GMO harvesters was carried out at the BASF Chemical site in Genay. This inspection revealed that BASF continues to produce Fastac (a pesticide banned in France), as well as its active ingredient, alpha-cypermethrin, a substance banned throughout the European Union.
The DREAL (Regional Directorate for Environment, Planning, and Housing) confirmed these revelations following an inspection carried out on June 30 at the request of the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
We are surprised that the prefecture’s communication is limited to merely noting the presence of Fastac, despite the fact that another banned pesticide, Dimpropyridaz, was also identified during the citizen inspection. This active ingredient is not approved at the European level and is therefore also banned.
Since 2019, BASF has failed to provide the requested documents on the toxicity of certain elements of its product and is trying to pass off the ban on Fastac as a simple administrative withdrawal. This should not allow it to circumvent the law by continuing to produce in France and transport the banned Fastac for export.
The State must do everything in its power to prevent this circumvention of the law and put an end to these odious practices.
The petition against the Duplomb law1 surpassed two million signatures last weekend, demonstrating in particular the French population’s massive rejection of the agrochemical system:
- We demand the publication of the full DREAL report on the inspection of BASF in Genay (69).
- We demand that the DREAL carry out inspections to search for all prohibited substances and products present at the Genay (69) site, as well as at all other agrochemical sites.
- We demand that the State put an end to these practices and that the courts prosecute and convict companies that do not respect the law.
- We demand that the French State take strict measures to prevent this agrochemical colonialism: the production and export of highly toxic substances banned in Europe, which destroy the health of workers and seriously affect the environment throughout the planet.
The Confédération Paysanne will continue to fight for systemic changes in our economy so that we can finally break free from this deadly agrochemical system, driven by powerful lobbyists who prioritize their profits over our health and the environment.
For more information, visit Confédération Paysanne’s website.
- The Duplomb Law, passed in July 2025, reauthorized toxic pesticides like acetamiprid and weakened environmental protections. A citizen-led petition opposing the law gathered over 2 million signatures, making it the most signed petition in French parliamentary history. ↩︎