Chambon-Feugerolles: a pesticide-free town

The town of Chambon-Feugerolles in the Loire department (12 400 inhabitants), has for 10 years been phasing out plant protection products while preserving the same amount of green spaces and running a "town in flower" campaign. It has been certified as a "pesticide-free municipality", no longer using any plant protection products. Manual weeding techniques are used for maintaining areas.

In 2014, the municipality embarked on an innovative, environmentally-friendly initiative. It signed a charter on reducing the use of plant health products, with a zero pesticide target. In 2021, the local authority received the "0 phyto" [zero pesticide] certification. Thus, no more chemical treatment is used on municipal public spaces, whether roads, parks, paths, pavements or stadiums.

To maintain around 80 km of roads and 62 hectares of green spaces, the municipal services use alternative techniques and specific equipment depending on the areas in question: a mini-sweeper with a weeder arm, a gas burner, a weed hoe mounted on a tractor, etc. More substantial human techniques are also needed given the requirements.

As regards planted areas, systematic mulching is carried out around cultivated areas and ground cover plants are widely used in forest areas. As pesticides are no longer an option, it was decided to use predatory insects on pests. To fight certain diseases, another natural technique is used: mushrooms are injected into the soil, for example for stadiums or horticultural production in municipal greenhouses.

The community has also chosen to accept spontaneous flora – vegetation that grows without human intervention and is a source of biodiversity. The initiative is publicised by the local authority on posters and explained to the public during the "town in flower" campaign each year.