It’s another and perhaps final victory in its grueling fight against Monsanto, but it tastes bittersweet. In a judgment rendered on November 7 and that The world was able to consult, the Lyon court condemns the German agrochemical giant Bayer – which bought Monsanto in 2018 – to pay the farmer Paul François the sum of 11,135 euros. “Certainly, for the first time, French justice condemns a manufacturer of pesticides for having intoxicated a farmer, but 11,135 euros for fifteen years of life put in brackets, nights without sleep, I would perhaps have done better to put Use this time to play the Loto! »reacts Paul François.
Tired, sick, the farmer, now 58 years old, expected “just reparation” to finally, ” turn the page “. The ace. Thursday, December 8, with several associations for the defense of the environment and health and MEPs, he was preparing for a new mobilization in front of the representation of Bayer in Brussels to demand the “end of impunity”.
endless bras de fer
The story of Paul François has already been told. It even inspired a television series, Influence games, broadcast on Arte. On April 27, 2004, the farmer from Charente was seriously poisoned by accidentally inhaling the vapors of a pesticide while inspecting the tank of his sprayer, which he thought was empty.
Marketed by the American firm, the Lasso herbicide was banned three years later, in 2007, because of its carcinogenic potential. That year, Paul François took Monsanto to court. The beginning of an interminable showdown before the courts and an equally long ordeal: repeated hospitalizations, comas, malaise, acute headaches, amnesia, dizziness, stuttering, anxiety…
In 2012, justice recognizes Monsanto “responsible for damage” suffered by Paul François and condemns the firm to “compensate” the farmer. But between appeals and cassation appeals from Monsanto and then Bayer – which disputes until the intoxication of the farmer –, it will therefore have taken ten years for justice to fix the amount of compensation.
“It is a satisfaction insofar as this judgment is the sixth court decision to hold Monsanto liable.comments François Lafforgue, the lawyer who has accompanied Paul François in his fight for fifteen years. But the amount of compensation is not at all commensurate with the damage suffered. »
In respect of physical and moral suffering and professional losses linked to his inability to work normally, Paul François claimed just over 1 million euros from the German group. But the Lyon court considers that if Paul François was indeed the victim of acute poisoning on April 27, 2004 with post-traumatic stress, the chronic disorders cannot be attributed to the inhalation of the Lasso. In addition, the judges deducted the compensation paid by the insurance companies and assessed at 142,000 euros, to arrive at a compensation amount of 11,135 euros.
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