The union beekeeping of the Aisne has filed a complaint on Wednesday against Bayer, which has just finished the buyout of Monsanto, after the discovery of glyphosate in honey of one of its members, has it learned Friday from several sources. The union, which brings together 200 beekeepers for most fans, has received the alert of a member who sells his surplus to the group, Family Michaud Beekeepers, the biggest actor of the honey in France, notably with his trademark Honey Moon.
“When they receive the honey, they are systematically scan and there they found glyphosate,” explained to the AFP Jean-Marie Camus, president of the union beekeeping of the Aisne, confirming information of The daily le Parisien-today in France.
Questioned by AFP, Family Michaud Beekeepers confirmed that it had refused three barrels of honey all flowers after having detected traces of the herbicide, the most used in France and considered a probable carcinogen by the world health Organization (WHO).
The beekeeper in question lives in a town near Laon, an area of major crops (rapeseed, sugar beet, sunflower, alfalfa). “But it’s also important not to forget the gardener of the Sunday and its propensity to easily use the “Roundup” (trade name of the herbicide), emphasizes the lawyer of the trade union, Me Emmanuel Ludot, the state bar of Reims.
The latter has filed a complaint Thursday on behalf of the union for “administration of harmful substances” against Bayer and Monsanto, with headquarters in France is in Lyon, choosing symbolically to this date “to coincide with two events: the national action of beekeepers and the final redemption of Monsanto by Bayer, curly Thursday, pointed out to Me Ludot.
“Slaughter” in the hives for winter
Jean-Marie Camus hopes the complaint will lead to the opening of an investigation to determine what rate of glyphosate has been found in this honey, if other substances have been detected, if the contamination is accidental or not, and what consequences it might have on the health of consumers. The three drums of honey in question have been kept by the beekeeper. “The question is also to know what is the extent of the phenomenon. Michaud family told me that it was not an isolated case,” added Me Ludot.
All the samples delivered to the group by beekeepers French are analyzed and “we regularly detect exogenous substances, including glyphosate,” confirmed Vincent Michaud, president of the Michaud Family Beekeepers. “And always when we detect glyphosate (above the threshold of 10 ppb), we reject the honey in our recipes.” Among the other substances often found, Mr. Michaud cites syrups feeding or antibiotics for bees, and pesticides.
“Usually, the beekeepers say +in this case I’ll make and sell this honey by the roadside or in the markets+ where the samples are beyond control. But this beekeeper has had the courage to say +I’m not going to do like the others, I’m going to lodge a complaint against Monsanto+”, he estimated. Beekeepers demonstrated Thursday everywhere in France in order to claim exceptional aid and a more favourable environment for bees, after “the slaughter” in the hives this winter.
(With AFP)
