News crop protection
Glyphosate approval continues to be in jeopardy
A total ban on the herbicide glyphosate will be final in Germany by the end of 2023. That's what the government has private† The active substance has been banned for more than a year. This also makes the future for the drug in other European countries very uncertain.
As early as February 2021, the then Minister of Agriculture Julia Klöckner known that there was an end to the authorization of glyphosate in Germany. According to the German government, the drug has a negative effect on flora and fauna because it kills all plants and thus takes away the habitat for insects and other life. On Thursday 10 March, the German 'Bundesregierung' ratified this ban.
Food security not compromised
The ban will come into effect at the end of 2023, meaning that glyphosate can no longer be used from the spring of 2024. According to the government, food security will not be compromised. There are plenty of alternatives available, it answers to questions from the AfD faction in parliament. Farmers have to work more mechanically. With tillage, other crops or an adjustment in the construction plan.
In December of this year, the authorization of glyphosate in the European Union will expire. The active substance was given a five-year grace period in 2017 – instead of the usual ten years – to allow for more research to be conducted into its potential carcinogen claim. The Netherlands, among others, is participating in this study, as are France, Sweden and Hungary. Germany's lack is likely to be felt in the authorization process as France and Germany, often together with the United Kingdom in the past, had the largest say in the authorization of funds.
Reassessment started smoothly, but…
It looked initially positive out for glyphosate. The committee of countries in the Assessment Group on Glyphosate (AGG) gave the green light halfway through last year. In November last year, glyphosate was again in bad news because studies were said to have been carried out carelessly. In the meantime, sales in garden centers, among others, are being phased out and the label of products such as RoundUp Ultimate has been tightened.
Apart from problems with the supply of glyphosate and the sharp price increases, it is highly questionable whether glyphosate will receive a new authorization in the EU. If so, it is probably stripped down further. For example only for site-specific application or for problem weeds. With today's fuel prices in mind, a single glyphosate spray is much more tempting than multiple mechanical operations. The file has not yet been finalized and the discussion certainly not yet, but expectations are by no means positive.
Niels van der Boom
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