Glyphosate-Based Herbicides Fail Agri Sustainability Test

Herbicide effect. Vivek Chandran A. Creative Commons

Agricultural sustainability is defined by generally agreed upon goals: promoting agroecology; protecting soils and the Earth’s natural resources; protecting biodiversity; and enhancing the quality of life and health of farmers, farm workers, and society.
A recent in-depth literature review (Item 1) explored whether glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) that are also widely used in conjunction with GE herbicide-resistant crops, are consistent with sustainable agriculture.
The findings are summarized as follows (Item 2):
1.    Human health: Glyphosate was classified as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer(IARC) while animal studies have shown that the glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup damages DNA (is genotoxic) and is an endocrine disruptor.
2.    No-till agriculture: The rapid spread of glyphosate-resistant weeds has meant that glyphosate-based herbicides cannot by themselves deliver a no-till agriculture system.
3.    Soil quality: Glyphosate and its main metabolite AMPA have often been detected in agricultural soils. Glyphosate herbicide applications alter soil microbe populations, which may contribute to the proliferation of plant and animal pathogens, and negatively impact plant growth and productivity.
4.    Aquatic creatures: Exposure to GBHs has toxic effects, including deformities and causing oxidative stress in the brain, which impairs fish behaviour.
5.    Beneficial, non-target species: Populations of monarch butterflies have been decimated by the massive spraying of herbicides, predominantly GBHS sprayed on GM glyphosate-tolerant crops. Glyphosate damages the gut microbiome of honeybees and impairs their cognitive abilities, including navigation.
The review concludes that, “…glyphosate-based herbicides do not reach the bar of agricultural sustainability, with respect to humans and the environment, making the system they are part of unsustainable.”
-    Third World Network
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/4/2337