Arnaud Apoteker at the Monsanto Tribunal, The Hague
It is with great sadness that we announce the loss of a dear friend and ally. Arnaud Apoteker, a rigorous scientist and tireless anti-GMO and pesticide activist, passed away last Friday, 9th January. We remember him for his humour and warmth, evident in many meetings he attended on pesticides, where he shared his deep understanding of the impact of these dangerous chemicals and supported campaigns and legal actions.
Arnaud played an active role in organising the International Monsanto Tribunal in The Hague in 2016 and 2017. After that, he became a co-founder of our member organisation Justice Pesticides, which gathered Court cases on pesticides across Europe. He was also active in several PAN working groups and campaigns. He was one of the founders of the coalition “Citizens for Science in Pesticide Regulation” [1], an instrumental coalition that produced the first NGO White Paper on Pesticide Regulation, exposing the shortcomings of the EU pesticide law and proposing concrete and forward-looking solutions. [2]
His passing away is a great loss, but his legacy remains. His contribution will live on in the people, movements, and changes he helped shape. We extend our sincere condolences to Arnaud’s family and loved ones. We will remember him for his commitment to science and justice, but also for his kindness, generosity and friendship.
Our French member Générations Futures says: "Arnaud was a wonderful person, extremely kind, humble and exceptionally competent. He left his mark on the fight against GMOs, which reached its peak in France between the 1990s and 2000s. (…) Committed to rigorous scientific debate and high-profile citizen action, he clearly worked to undermine the agrochemical and agribusiness giants on this issue."
After leaving Greenpeace, Arnaud was an advisor for the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament (2011-2015), coordinator of the International Monsanto Tribunal 2016-2017), then co-founder and general delegate of the Justice Pesticides association from its creation in 2017 until the end of 2022. In this context, we had the pleasure of continuing our close collaboration with him. He spoke out on behalf of pesticide victims with the same rigour and conviction, building an international database of pesticide-related court cases, a valuable tool for pooling efforts and strengthening legal action.
He also represented Générations Futures in official bodies, notably ANSES, on GMO issues, bringing his rigour and scientific expertise to bear in this context.
Since his retirement, we have already missed his presence and experience. Today, he leaves a huge void in our ranks and for the cause. Many of us learned alongside him.
Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones, to whom we offer our sincere condolences.
Arnaud, thank you for everything you gave us – from anti-GMO campaigns to Justice Pesticides, through so many shared battles. We will miss you greatly.
A civil ceremony will be held on Thursday, January 15, 2026.
Death notice and messages of condolence.
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