They denounce “a sham trial” and already intend to appeal this heavy sentence the “neutralization” of sunflower plots. The militant operation took place on the night of August 16 to 17, 2017 in the town of Gardouch.
The fields targeted were the subject of an experiment within the framework of a project carried out in various French regions by agricultural technical institutes. The voluntary mowers had justified their action at the time by “the certainty that one or more varieties made tolerant to herbicides (VRTH) there [étaient] cultivated”, which “are genetically modified organisms”.
The agricultural institutes involved in the project defend trials aimed at “developing agro-ecological production systems taking into account local specificities”.
The hearing took place on March 30, 2022 before the Toulouse Criminal Court. The mowers believe that they were “prohibited from speaking”.