Soil Association reviews scientific evidence on the impact of glyphosate on soil health

Soil Association reviews scientific evidence on the impact of glyphosate on soil health

The day before the EU is due to make a momentous decision about the future of glyphosate, the Soil Association is today (22 June) publishing a review ¹ of the scientific research on the impact of glyphosate on soil and soil life. New evidence suggests the most widely used agricultural chemical in the world² may not be safe for soil life, as previously claimed. The Soil Association is calling on the EU to ban the use of glyphosate on crops immediately before harvest and to ban all use in public spaces and gardens.

For decades chemical companies have stated that glyphosate is completely safe, but new scientific evidence is raising fresh doubts about the chemical. Scientists are concerned about glyphosate’s potential impacts in increasing crop diseases and changing the composition and functioning of soil micro-organisms and ecosystems. Recently published studies have also found negative impacts on earthworms. Scientists working in this field are calling for further research to be carried out. This is urgent given the widespread and heavy use of glyphosate worldwide.

Emma Hockridge, head of policy at the Soil Association said; “There is another very important vote taking place on Thursday. Given how long glyphosate has been in use, it’s extraordinary how little is known about its environmental impact. This ignorance – and indications of potential new problems – adds weight to the demands for a ban on glyphosate based on the threat it poses to human health.  Our soils are vulnerable and threatened – any potential threat to soil health needs to be taken very seriously. 

“Some scientists have claimed UK soils may only have 100 harvests left and two all-party Parliamentary committees³ have released reports on soil health in the past few weeks. As a minimum, we are calling on EU Member States to implement the recommendations of the European Parliament, and ban the use of glyphosate on crops immediately before harvest, and to ban all use in public spaces and gardens.”

Used in huge quantities on farms, in public parks and in gardens all over the world, glyphosate has long been claimed to be the safest pesticide, with no impact on people, wildlife or soil health.  Supporters have long claimed it is ‘safe enough to drink’, but last year, the World Health Organization listed glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen⁴.

Meanwhile, the European Union has twice failed to agree to authorise it’s continued use. The licence for the use of glyphosate in the EU expires at the end of June. Last month, the European Parliament voted to severely restrict glyphosate’s use, signalling a dramatic blow, not just to the future use of glyphosate but to the pesticide industry generally.

The views of not only the EU Parliament but also one of the largest farming countries in the EU – France, which has independently decided to ban glyphosate – supported by Sweden and others - have signalled a firm position in favour of a precautionary approach. Even Germany, whose scientists carried out the study for the EU that cleared glyphosate, did not vote in favour of continued use. The vote to reapprove the license has been postponed twice now, and on Monday 6 June, a proposed compromise to extend glyphosate’s licence by up to 18 months also failed to win support.

In the event that glyphosate is banned across the EU, there are other alternatives available to farmers to manage and reduce weeds – organic farmers are already controlling weeds without any herbicides whatsoever. A ban on glyphosate may also provide an incentive for more research and innovation.

References

1 The impact of glyphosate on soil health; the evidence to date https://www.soilassociation.org/media/7202/glyphosate-and-soil-health-full-report.pdf

2 Environmental Audit Committee, Soil Health, 2 June 2016, HC 180 2016-17 [Available online at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmenvaud/180/180.pdf]All Party Parliamentary Group for Agroecology, soil health and protection inquiry reports, 12 June 2016 [Available online at http://agroecology-appg.org/ourwork/appg-agroecology-soil-inquiry/]  

3 http://europe.newsweek.com/glyphosate-now-most-used-agricultural-chemical-ever-422419

4 https://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/iarcnews/pdf/MonographVolume112.pdf