Health scares dismissed in new EU glyphosate ruling

Farmers' hopes of avoiding a ban on using the world's most widely used weed killer have been handed a significant boost by a European Union watchdog which has officially dismissed claims it is linked to cancer.
It has been estimated that a total ban on glyphosate would reduce UK production of oilseed rape by 10 per cent.It has been estimated that a total ban on glyphosate would reduce UK production of oilseed rape by 10 per cent.
It has been estimated that a total ban on glyphosate would reduce UK production of oilseed rape by 10 per cent.

Campaigners fighting for glyphosate to remain a key part of farming’s “toolkit” welcomed the conclusions of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) which said the scientific evidence “did not meet the criteria to classify glyphosate as a carcinogen, as a mutagen or as toxic for reproduction”.

A report last year by ADAS, the UK’s largest agricultural consultancy, estimated a total ban on glyphosate would cut UK production of winter wheat and winter barley by 12 per cent and oilseed rape by 10 per cent, costing the industry £551m a year.

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But a debate lasting more than a year has raged over glyphosate’s future use in the EU, with many environmental groups calling for it to be banned. To provide greater scientific clarity for decision makers, the ECHA was tasked with developing a classification on the carcinogenicity of the chemical.

Guy Smith, vice president of the National Farmers’ Union, said: “We welcome the classification of glyphosate by the ECHA which reinforces its safety.

“The overwhelming weight of evidence shows that glyphosate poses no risk to human health when used correctly. This opinion is shared by regulatory bodies around the world, including the World Health Organisation, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN and the European Food Safety Authority.

“Glyphosate plays a vital role in agriculture in the UK and around the world. It reduces the need to use other herbicides, it helps to protect soil and cut greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the need for ploughing, and it enables farmers in this country to grow crops that help produce safe, affordable, high quality British food.”

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Mr Smith added: “Now ECHA has released its classification there can be no reason why glyphosate should not be reauthorised for a further 15 years when the European Commission makes its decision on a proposal later this year. We will continue to work with our members and with other European farming unions to ensure the facts about glyphosate’s safety and importance are heard in the run-up to that decision.”

The chief executive of the Crop Protection Association, Sarah Mukherjee, said: “Glyphosate is, and always has been safe. This ruling is another reminder this debate has never really been about safety, it has been hijacked and politicised to force a wider debate on modern agriculture. It’s right that we’re having that debate, but it’s wrong to use health scares to get there. “

Julie Girling MEP, Conservative spokesman on the Environment and Public Health Committee and a member of the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, said: “This opinion confirms what the EU and other scientific bodies have been saying since this debate began in 2015. It represents the first step in restoring certainty for farmers so that they can continue responsibly using this important substance to provide us with safe and nutritious food.”