Poll: two out of every three Europeans wants glyphosate eradicated from the continent

Tuesday, July 12, 2016 by: Daniel Barker
Tags: glyphosate, EU ban, weed killer chemical

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(NaturalNews) Despite industry-led efforts to play down health and environmental risks associated with the herbicide glyphosate, two-thirds of Europeans now say that its use should be banned, according to a recent survey of more than 7,000 people from the five biggest E.U. states.

The European Parliament responded to the public's concerns on Wednesday, April 20, by passing a resolution opposing the European Commission's proposal to re-approve the use of glyphosate for the next 15 years.

This move may lead to a potential victory for the anti-GM agriculture movement in Europe, and signals a growing awareness of the dangers of what has become the most widely-used herbicide in the history of the world.

From The Ecologist:

"The Parliament's vote precedes a decision by EU government representatives on whether or not to support the Commission proposal to approve glyphosate for use in the EU. This may take place at the next EU pesticides committee meeting on 18-19 May.

"While the 374 to 225 vote is non-binding on the Commission and EU governments, it will nonetheless carry strong moral weight since it comes from the EU's only elected body directly representing EU citizens and will force a discussion of the issues raised."

Monsanto propaganda debunked

The Monsanto Company, whose number one-selling Roundup herbicide product contains glyphosate, has long led a massive propaganda and lobbying campaign promoting the use of glyphosate as part of a "safe and effective" (it is neither) industrial-scale agricultural system based on GM technology. However, a growing body of research has shown that glyphosate negatively impacts human health and damages ecosystems.

Monsanto's lies and strong arm tactics – which have included falsified research, the bribing of scientists, payoffs to political committees and the launching of smear campaigns against GMO opponents – have not been entirely successful in keeping the truth from the public.

And the truth is, that glyphosate poses a threat not only to humans – it's been linked to cancer in lab animals and has been labeled as "probably carcinogenic" to humans by the World Health Organization – but also disrupts ecosystems, by killing off beneficial species that help maintain the delicate balance of their environment.

From The Guardian:

"Most global use of glyphosate is for GM-resistant crops and, as a non-selective herbicide, environmentalists say that it can kill all plants, algae, bacteria and fungi in a crop's vicinity, creating knock-on effects for biodiversity.

"Some 9.4m tonnes of glyphosate have been applied to crops since 1974, enough to spray half a pound of Roundup onto every cultivated acre of land on the planet."

Studies have shown that glyphosate threatens many animal species as well, including insects, fish and amphibians.

Nearly half of Europeans test positive for glyphosate in their bodies

Glyphosate is everywhere – traces of it have been found in the urine of 44 percent of people tested from 18 different European nations, in 60 percent of the bread sold in the U.K., and in Germany's 14 best-selling beers.

However, little testing has actually been done examining the extent of glyphosate's presence and its effects on humans and the environment, which is one big reason why environmental groups and others are demanding a ban – at least until more research can be conducted.

From a report published by Friends of the Earth Europe:

"The evidence suggests that a significant proportion of the population could have glyphosate in their bodies – and it is not clear where it is coming from. Despite the fact that glyphosate is the world's best-selling chemical herbicide and glyphosate-containing herbicides are the most widely-used herbicides in Europe, very little testing is done for glyphosate residues in food, feed, or water. Tests for glyphosate in the body do not take place at all."

More testing is needed, of course, but there is already more than enough evidence of glyphosate's harmful effects and its increasing levels found in foods, to support a complete ban of its use.

Two-thirds of Europeans think so, and it seems that their representatives in the EU governmental system may be beginning to pay attention.

Sources:

TheGuardian.com

TheEcologist.org

Science.NaturalNews.com

FoeEurope.org^[PDF]