Glyphosate Should we continue to use it.

Glyphosate has been the most used herbicide in the world for 

In 2017 the EU voted to renew the license of glyphosate for five years,

A UN study refers to the chemical as “probably carcinogenic”. The case rests on the examples of professional farm workers whose jobs entailed applying glyphosate on crops every day. All farm workers applying chemicals are required to wear PPP (personal protective equipment). Body suits, gloves, boots respirators. The heat of California makes the wearing of protective equipment unpleasant and so workers often take shortcuts and dont wear the protective clothing. It seems that the farm workers affected had been applying glyphosate without the correct protective equipment and had been breathing the fumes many years, in some cases 20-30 years.

No garden or farm chemicals are harmless and all come with clear guidelines on safe usage. 

Other scientists believe that Glyphosate is safe to use and The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) state that it is unlikely to cause cancer in humans. The European Chemicals Agency and other scientific bodies found no link to cancer in humans, however, France plans to implement a ban, President Macron tweeting “as soon as alternatives are found, and within three years at the latest”.

The debate will continue, but we are thankful for renewal, as Glyphosate is vital in weed control – particularly when dealing with invasive weeds like Japanese Knotweed.

John Moverley states: “Most people appreciate that the environment around them is maintained in some way but fewer realise that there is a huge contribution from something called the amenity sector behind this.”