"No-one wants a chemical linked to cancer in their breakfast” - groups call for action on toxic pesticide residues
Campaigners have joined the Soil Association to call for government action to remove a “toxic” pesticide from everyday foods – just weeks after international scientists declared it can cause cancer.
Banning the herbicide glyphosate at harvest could stop this chemical being sprayed on food crops covering a combined footprint five times the size of London, the Soil Association has said.
Glyphosate is used by some farmers to tackle weeds, but it is also often sprayed on crops to dry them out at harvest time. This leaves residues in foods like bread, breakfast cereal, and beer, with nearly half of crop samples tested in the UK across wheat, barley and oats containing the chemical.
Use of glyphosate as a pre-harvest drying agent was banned in the EU in 2023, and the UK government now has the chance to do the same as it negotiates a deal with the EU.
But reports suggest the Glyphosate Renewal Group – made up of manufacturers of glyphosate-based weedkillers – is arguing for the UK to diverge from the EU and continue to allow the practice.
These trade talks come at the same time as the chemical’s UK license expires, with the government due to decide in December what uses, if any, will be permitted for the next 15 years.
In an open letter, the Soil Association, Nature Friendly Farming Network, Greenpeace, Riverford, The Wildlife Trusts and other environment and health groups have called for the government to use this opportunity to end pre-harvest desiccation in the UK.
If implemented, this could prevent glyphosate from being sprayed annually on crops covering up to 780,000 hectares – an area five times the size of London – according to estimations by the Soil Association.
The charity has also launched a petition, and campaigners are calling for urgent support for farmers to ensure their businesses “can continue to thrive” while changing practices, alongside research into alternatives.
Soil Association Campaigns Co-ordinator Cathy Cliff said:
“No-one wants a chemical linked to cancer in their sandwiches or breakfast cereal. The UK is already lagging behind Europe which takes a much tougher stance on pesticides that pose a risk to human health. The government must act to protect public health by stopping this toxic chemical from being sprayed on our food at harvest.
“Many farmers are already reducing their use of harmful pesticides, and the government must work harder to support their efforts. Our government must do the right thing and remove glyphosate from our foods, while supporting farmers to find alternatives that protect nature and public health.”
Evidence mounts against glyphosate
The herbicide – commonly known for being the active ingredient in the product Roundup – has been at the centre of more than 170,000 lawsuits in the United States.
In 2015 glyphosate was labelled as a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organisation and in March this year a group of international scientists gathered to review new science published over the last decade.
The expert statement issued after the Seattle Glyphosate Symposium stated that glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) harm human health and can cause cancer.
It added: “The evidence that glyphosate and GBHs harm human health at levels of current use is now so strong that no additional delays in regulation of glyphosate can be justified.”
This contradicts the claims made by manufacturers such as Monsanto, who told everyone from farmers to consumers it was safer than table salt.
The company, which was bought by Bayer in 2018, was found to have downplayed and purposefully hidden the harms of glyphosate that the company’s research uncovered in the 1980s.
Litigation in the US has led to the disclosure of thousands of emails and documents describing how Monsanto ghostwrote dozens of peer-reviewed papers on glyphosate safety, falsely presenting it to regulators and the public health community as independent research.
Late last year, the journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology retracted a ghostwritten study published in 2000 that claimed glyphosate did not cause cancer.
Echoing the more up to date, independent research, today’s open letter to Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds highlights the risks to human health and how pre-harvest desiccation is the primary cause of glyphosate residues in foods.
Widespread exposure to glyphosate
Signatory on the Seattle Glyphosate Symposium statement Dr. Charles Benbrook, an expert in glyphosate use and human health risks who worked on the litigation in the US as an expert witness, said: “Preharvest crop desiccation uses of glyphosate are why nearly everyone on the planet is now routinely exposed to glyphosate, except for people who consume predominantly certified organic foods.
“The UK government has a chance to essentially end most dietary exposure to glyphosate via a ban on preharvest crop desiccation uses, a step already taken across Europe.”
A policy briefing from the Soil Association, sent with the open letter, details the research showing how these residues are found in nearly half of crops tested – this includes oats, barley, and wheat.
The briefing also points out that glyphosate is driving harms to the environment and wildlife.
It says that pre-harvest desiccation has a significantly deleterious impact on winter seed food that feeds birds through the winter and it also destroys habitats for wintering birds.
Cathy added: “Experts are increasingly warning that there is no ‘safe dose’ of glyphosate, meaning the chemical should be removed from our food. Evidence of the harms linked to glyphosate has rocketed over the last decade, and we’re calling on the government to respond. It’s time to cut the chemicals from our food and fields.”