Publicised by Charlie Hebdo, the association ‘Nous voulons des coquelicots’ campaigns for a ban on all pesticides, particularly herbicides responsible for the disappearance of poppies...

Publicised by Charlie Hebdo, the association ‘Nous voulons des coquelicots’ campaigns for a ban on all pesticides, particularly herbicides responsible for the disappearance of poppies in arable farming. What is amusing in all this, beyond the particularly well-chosen symbol, is that the poppy thrives in poor soils, particularly in agricultural soils that have lost their organic matter. The poppy is therefore also the symbol of an agriculture that has overexploited its land. Rest assured, however: the poppy is not yet on the brink of extinction. Each flower can produce up to 40,000 seeds every year, and these can remain in the soil for some thirty years, waiting for more favourable conditions.