Renewable Farming

More European nations revolt against re-licensing glyphosate in the EU

Just as the European Union’s health commissioner is poised to re-license glyphosate herbicides for another 15 years, several EU nations have launched strong objections.

By March 5, three nations threatened to vote against the re-approval. A March 5 report by Sustainable Pulse provides details at this link.

By March 8, the rebellion had grown to several other nations, which recommended postponing glyphosate’s re-approval.  Update March 8 here.

Update March 11: Pesticide Action Network reports that the EU has “put the brakes” on EU re-registration of glyphosate.

The momentum for rejection of the renewal is also intensified by a new study showing widespread presence of glyphosate in human urine of Germans, often at higher levels than allowed in drinking water.  Here’s the link.

Russia and Ukraine already ban GMOs and glyphosate. A Ukranian farm manager told a visiting American crop consultant, Bob Streit last year that: “If someone were to try to spray glyphosate on our farm, they would be shot.”

That’s an indicator of how divergent the views are across Europe.  More than 1,400,000 people have signed an online petition against the re-licensing of glyphosate in Europe.

 So far, health authorities in Germany have not joined the rebellion — even though the Munich Environmental Institute released a report in late February that glyphosate residues have been found in all 14 of Germany’s most popular beer brands. When Germans see their beer compromised, it may well trigger a reaction.  Brewers responded by saying they are not surprised, since small grains are typically sprayed with glyphosate as a desiccant before harvest.  There are some signals in Germany that the German government may abstain from a vote on glyphosate’s renewal.