Glyphosate-based herbicide poses no risk when used appropriately - RADA

Speaking at a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’, Principal Director, Technical Services, RADA, Marina Young, said there have been numerous reviews of research findings to assess the risk the herbicide poses to public health between 2015 and 2019.

“The latest review was done in March/April 2019 which concluded that if glyphosate is used following its most current label, it does not cause risk to public health. A second outcome of the extensive review showed that glyphosate is not a cause of cancer,” she noted.

According to Mrs. Young, RADA and the Pesticide Control Authority (PCA) have been very diligent in ensuring that the heavily used registered pesticides are in the lower toxicity levels and will have the least impact on the environment and users’ health.

“In Jamaica, glyphosate is used in 11 different products. Nine of those products which have glyphosate as the main ingredient are Class IV toxicity pesticides and are registered by the PCA for agricultural use and non-crop or industrial purposes. The other two products are Class III toxicity,” she added.

Based on the World Health Organization (WHO) Hazard Classification, Class IV is the lowest in terms of acute toxicity with Class I being the most toxic.

Mrs. Young noted that glyphosate is one of the most commonly used herbicides because of the climate.

“Jamaican agriculture is under tropical conditions and weeds are a major challenge to the crops as they compete for water, sunlight, nutrients and space; therefore, the use of the chemical is very essential for the successful management of the weeds,” she explained.

Glyphosate-based pesticides are typically applied before seeds are sown or crops planted. The herbicide is registered locally to be used on the following crops: banana, citrus, coconut, coffee, mango, papaya, sugar cane, pumpkin, corn, pineapple, sweet and Irish potato and some vegetables.

Manufacturers of herbicide products containing glyphosate have come under increased pressure globally after a World Health Organization study suggests its contents to be probably carcinogenic.

Glyphosate and particularly its safety in normal environmental conditions continue to be a hot topic between manufacturers and environmentalists.

A 2018 study by European Food and Safety Agency indicated a possible connection between popular glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup and liver disease in rats.

The findings which were publicized have ramped up public pressure on Roundup manufacturer Monsanto, bought last year by Bayer, and other agrochemical giants.

In May of this year, thousands of people in over 30 cities around the world protested against these agrochemical conglomerates, while demanding for greener and healthier agricultural practices.

Monsanto says Roundup doesn’t cause cancer and is challenging the findings of the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Since 2015 there has been a growing list of countries that have banned the use of Roundup, a popular weedkiller used by farmers all over the word and other glyphosate-based herbicides.

Some of the countries include France, the Netherlands, Italy, Bermuda, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Malawi, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.

It is also banned in a few US cities and institutions such as Key West, Los Angeles, Miami and the University of California.