To me glyphosate, now synonymous with RoundUp is the ultimate herbicide, its introduction in the 1970’s by Monsanto to be used with crops which had been genetically modified to be resistant to it, was a major breakthrough in weed control. Since the 70’s its use has diversified including on crops that have ripened unevenly so they can be harvested and as a major constituent of no-till agricultural practice. Although of prime importance to agriculture, it has been used successfully in the garden for many years until fairly recently when there have been claims that it is a carcinogenic and, as sure as night follows day, the litigation and subsequent bad publicity have followed.
Since 2018 there have been several high profile law suits in the United States against Monsanto, now a subsidiary of Bayer, because of an alleged cancer risk from the use of RoundUp and specifically its main ingredient glyphosate. The cancers in question are non-Hodgkin lymphoma and those related to it, and most allegations seemed to be based on a lack of warning on the product that it posed a cancer risk or even that the company deliberately withheld the fact. Although some studies suggest a link between glyphosate and non-Hodgkin lymphoma it has not been established and still remains open to debate. Even though Bayer offered up around $11billion to settle outstanding claims in 2020, there are still thousands that remain unresolved. Bayer has also removed its glyphosate from the amateur gardening market, but do not see this as admitting culpability as they still claim that it is safe and continue to supply the farming community.
Several countries in Europe have banned glyphosate for household use, including France, Holland and Belgium whilst Germany is moving toward restricting its use in public spaces and eventually a ban. Controversy arises from the fact that many agencies throughout the world back the findings of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) that glyphosate is an unlikely carcinogenic the primary dissenter, it would appear, is the International Agency for Research on Cancer which lists it as a probable human carcinogen. It must be noted that IARC is part of the WHO (World Health Organization) who in turn is an arm of of the UN (United Nations) and as such do not have the power to legislate in this case, although I am sure they would very much like to, this is the responsibility of the appropriate agency in each country or even state. Two major factors must be taken into consideration, firstly that the use of glyphosate is so widespread and such an integral part of modern farming methods it is currently impossible to replace it with anything remotely as effective, (see Rothamsted) and secondly, to prove or disprove the case is impossible simply because testing isn’t practical on human subjects and any results from animal testing would be purely conjecture, in effect it is a gigantic grey area. The saga roles on, Bayer trying to push for a Supreme Court judgement in their favour whilst handling yet more claims against them.
Despite there being no legislation in force, in the UK many supermarkets, garden centres and other retail outlets have removed RoundUp from their shelves in a mixture of independent and collective action but whether this is to appease their consciences or to appease the green lobby it is hard to tell, similar action having been taken with bagged peat.
On the other side of the coin in 2023 the EU has extended glyphosate’s licence for a further 10 years as member states reached a stalemate. In Brighton and Hove, always leaders when it comes to green initiatives, the banning of the use of glyphosate in 2019 and the decision to control the problem it has with weed growth on its pavements and roads manually has resulted in parts of the city looking “completely wild”. Glyphosate has been approved by the city council earlier this year for targeted use and with the exception of open spaces and play areas to get things back under control.
A Plantsman's World 
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