Health Council in Belgium wants a quick ban on glyphosate

The Superior Health Council of Belgium recommends a planned, controlled and progressive reduction of the use of glyphosate in Belgium. According to the council, the use must be stopped before the end of 2022 and at the same time it wants to stimulate the search for an alternative.

The use of the drug glyphosate has been under discussion for some time, because the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) had classified glyphosate as 'probably carcinogenic'. After a procedure, the European Union decided to temporarily extend the use until December 2022. In view of the importance of the glyphosate file, the Superior Health Council has also decided to adopt a position: 'A controlled, planned and progressive phasing out of the use of glyphosate in Belgium is desirable'.

Harmful to humans or not?
In the report of the Superior Health Council, glyphosate is not only labeled as 'possibly carcinogenic', but also states that the drug has endocrine-disrupting properties and has an effect on the gut microbiome. It is striking that at the same time it is written that the drug is "only weakly carcinogenic" and that the risk for humans is "limited". In this context, it refers to a study in the United States. "This shows that only a small group of users with the highest exposure to glyphosate show a limited increased risk of lymphatic cancer. For the majority of users, no difference with non-users is seen."

The Superior Health Council is aware that the drug is widely used worldwide. "The use of glyphosate is therefore not only important for agriculture, but also for the economy in general," the advisory reads. Nevertheless, the council advises that the use of glyphosate should be discontinued as soon as possible.

Looking for an alternative
The Superior Health Council does recognize that the situation is difficult, because a good alternative has not yet been found. It therefore wants the competent authorities, preferably at European level, to stimulate all research into an alternative. "It could be another chemical with similar properties, but it could also be other non-chemical methods of weed control."

Kimberly Baker

Kimberly Bakker is an all-round editor at Boerenbusiness. She also has an eye for the social media channels of Boerenbusiness.

k.baker @boerenbusiness. Nl

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