Campaigners call for ban on use of herbicide glyphosate at harvest

Campaigners are calling for the Government to ban the spraying of glyphosate on UK crops at harvest following studies linking it to cancer and other illnesses.

Glyphosate – commonly known for being the active ingredient in the product Roundup – is used by some farmers to tackle weeds, but it is also often sprayed on crops to dry them out at harvest time.

The Soil Association warned that this left residues in foods such as 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 campaigners are calling on the UK Government to do the same.

Farmers Weekly reported in December that the renewal of glyphosate’s licence in Great Britain was entering a “critical stage”, with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) set to launch a major public consultation ahead of a final approval decision later this year.

The consultation will allow farmers, industry, and farming organisations to comment on the extensive scientific dossier submitted by the Glyphosate Renewal Group (GRG), a coalition including Bayer, Syngenta, Nufarm and five other companies seeking renewal of the active ingredient.

Glyphosate remains approved for use in Great Britain until December 15, after ministers extended its authorisation to give regulators time to review new data.

Farmers Weekly said farming organisations were preparing to argue for continued access to glyphosate-based weedkillers – including as a pre-harvest desiccant – or moisture absorber – in cereals and oilseed rape, which they say is essential for food security, climate goals, and farm viability.

Glyphosate was labelled as a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organisation in 2015, 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.”

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 the 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.”

Dr May van Schalkwyk, from the Centre for Pesticide Suicide Prevention and Global Health Policy Unit at the University of Edinburgh, said: “There is a mounting body of independent evidence of the harm to people’s health and the environment from glyphosate-based pesticides.

“Government action is long overdue.”

Guy Singh-Watson, founder of organic vegetable box company Riverford, said: “Glyphosate use in our food system is poison in plain sight.

“Spraying crops with a chemical classified as ‘probably carcinogenic’, often just days before harvest, creates a direct route from field to plate that should concern us all.

“This is not only a public health issue, but also a farming one too.

“Many farmers are locked into using these chemicals by a system that leaves them with few commercially viable alternatives.

“The Government has a responsibility to ensure our food is produced without compromising the health of people or the planet.

“Banning glyphosate as a pre-harvest desiccant is a sensible first step, and farmers must be supported to make the transition away from chemical dependence.”

A Government spokesman said: “Like all pesticides, glyphosate is subject to strict regulation in Great Britain and are only approved for use if the evidence shows that they won’t harm human or animal health, and won’t have unacceptable effects on the environment.

“Our UK Pesticides National Action Plan supports moves by farmers, growers and other land managers to minimise the use of pesticides and increase integrated pest management – a holistic and sustainable approach to pest, weed and disease control.”