Sugar beet cultivation is chemical-intensive. In 2017, the average number of pesticide treatments received by sugar beet crops in France was between five and six — which is more than most other crops (Agreste, 2019). Sugar beets need to be protected from weeds competing for resources and diseases transmitted by aphids; for example, the beet yellows virus. For this purpose, the sugar beet sector has had to rely extensively on neonicotinoid insecticides, which are often used in seed coating to prevent virus transmission.