Copper Ban in Organic Viticulture: A Critical Turning Point
I was as shocked as you , Organic in France turned not to be very Organic at all..
The French authority for food safety, environmental and occupational health (Anses) has withdrawn approval for 20 copper-based fungicides, including widely used preparations such as Kocide 2000 and Kocide Flow. This abrupt decision strips organic vintners of their most accessible tools against downy mildew, leaving only two copper formulations—Champ Flo Ampli and Héliocuivre—available under heavily restricted conditions.
Anses defends the ban on the grounds of user health, citing insufficient safety data from manufacturers and an inability to rule out harmful effects on vineyard workers. The new regulations impose a hard ceiling of 4 kg of copper per hectare annually, mandatory seven-day intervals between sprays, buffer zones near residences and waterways, and a prohibition during flowering. The cheapest copper powders will be off the market entirely by 2026.
Industry Backlash and Environmental Contradictions
Organic vintners, particularly in France, have reacted with alarm. Critics argue that Anses’ focus on occupational health ignores the broader ecological stakes: copper, while toxic in excess, has long been considered the “least bad” option in organic farming. Georg Forster of Ecovin dismisses the decision as incoherent, noting the sector’s progress in reducing copper use and the stalled approval of less harmful alternatives such as potassium phosphonate. Many French growers now face the prospect of reverting to conventional fungicides—an ecological backslide that undermines decades of organic progress.
Regional usage data highlights the difficulty: while the national average copper use in 2024 was 3.72 kg/ha, regions like Champagne (4.55 kg/ha) and Burgundy (4.3 kg/ha) already exceed the new cap. Without viable alternatives, these vineyards risk crop losses or forced conventionalization.
Comparison with Natural Wine Practices
Natural wine producers, often positioned at the radical edge of viticulture, already face similar constraints but adapt through a different philosophy. Their methods lean less on chemical inputs—organic or otherwise—and more on biodiversity, soil health, canopy management, and microclimatic resilience to reduce disease pressure. While natural winemaking is not a panacea (and some still rely on copper within limits), it embodies a shift away from input-dependence toward ecological complexity.
In contrast, the mainstream organic sector remains structurally reliant on copper as a “crutch.” The Anses ban brutally exposes this dependency. For natural winemakers, the decision validates their emphasis on systemic resilience. For organic farmers tied to copper, it signals an existential crisis.
