2023-09-21 13:05:52
September 21, 2023
Brussels wants to propose to the 27 member states to extend the authorization of glyphosate by 10 years. However, the herbicide, banned in France for individuals and restricted for farmers, might be dangerous for humans, according to several studies.
The controversial herbicide is coming back to the forefront with a proposal from the European Commission which is causing an outcry among elected officials and environmental NGOs. Brussels wants to see the authorization of glyphosate extended for 10 years by the 27 member countries.
Glyphosate is the active substance in several herbicides including the famous Roundup from Bayer (formerly Monsanto). In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), dependent on the World Health Organization (WHO), placed glyphosate in category 2A of its classification of pathogens, i.e. “probably carcinogenic to humans”.
Increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma
The Circ report then specified that glyphosate had been “detected in the air during application, in water and in food”. Although it is indicated that the indications are limited regarding the dangerousness of the product for humans, several studies concerning occupational exposure have shown an increased risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In rodents, several studies relayed by the Circ showed an increased risk for several tumors.
A 2021 Inserm report confirmed the increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with an average presumption. The report also highlighted the genotoxicity of glyphosate – a substance capable of causing genome and DNA dysfunction involving oxidative stress for cells. Other additional risks were mentioned, such as multiple myeloma and leukemia, but the results were less solid.
No precautionary principle
Glyphosate remains, despite the Circ’s warning, the most used herbicide in the world. In its proposal, the European Commission draws on a report published in July 2023 by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). It is written there that “Assessment of the impact of glyphosate on human health, animal health and the environment has not identified any areas of critical concern.”
The EFSA emphasizes, however, that questions remain unanswered such as the toxicity of one of the components, the food risk for consumers and the risks for aquatic plants. So, ” given the widely documented risks for the environment and human health, it is more than urgent to apply the precautionary principle enshrined in European texts and the French Constitution to put an end to glyphosate and finally initiate a real agricultural transition and food »reacted in a joint press release around thirty environmental NGOs including Agir pour l’environnement.
The European Commission’s proposal, formulated on September 20, will be studied this Friday, the 27 will decide for or once morest in October.
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Source : Inserm, pesticides and health effects: new data, 2021 – EFSA, Glyphosate: no area of critical concern; identification of gaps in data, July 6, 2023 – Center Léon Bernard, Circ publication, on the carcinogenicity of glyphosate, 2025
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Written by : Dorothée Duchemin – Edited by Emmanuel Ducreuzet
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