France’s government was on the defensive on Friday after environmental campaigners and opposition politicians accused it of having scrapped a key green policy to appease protesting farmers.

Agricultural workers started to lift roadblocks after more than a week of demonstrations, following government promises of cash and eased regulation.

Among the concessions announced by Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau on Thursday was that a 15-year-old government plan to stem dependence on insecticides and weedkillers would be put on hold. (…) But government spokeswoman Prisca Thevenot on Friday morning defended the move, saying measures to reduce pesticide use so far had not worked and needed rethinking.

“We need to be able to help them, which is why we are massively investing in finding alternative solutions,” she added, without elaborating on what those might be.

The protestes are not all done yet, some farmers Union are against this government’s decision and are still fighting for better revenues among other things.