With its commitment to being a pesticide-free town
Chambon-Feugerolles is pursuing two key objectives: fighting soil and groundwater pollution
and no longer exposing the public and municipal staff working in green spaces to the hazards of plant health products
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
the municipality embarked on an innovative
It signed a charter on reducing the use of plant health products
the local authority received the "0 phyto" [zero pesticide] certification
no more chemical treatment is used on municipal public spaces
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
More substantial human techniques are also needed given the requirements
systematic mulching is carried out around cultivated areas and ground cover plants are widely used in forest areas
it was decided to use predatory insects on pests
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
Member of a Local Executive: Municipal Council of Chambon-Feugerolles (Loire department)
In 2016 the Rhône-Alpes région was joined with the région of Auvergne to form the new administrative entity of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.