FRANCE- Beyondpesticides.org reports the President of France, Emmanual Macron, has called on the French parliament to ban glyphosate, the chemical pesticide used in Monsanto’s Roundup. Parliament refused to issue the ban.
Glyphosate has been under scrutiny after some reports indicate the chemical might be carcinogenic. The European Union (EU) still chose to renew the pesticide’s license, even in the face of evidence that it could be harmful and that Monsanto potentially interfered with the licensing process.
Macron has pushed to ban the herbicide within the next three years. The EU voted 28 to 18 to permit the use of Roundup for another five years. France voted against the five-year renewal and wanted to limit the license to three years, and try to find a safer alternative within that time period.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a branch of the World Health Organization (WHO) listed glyphosate as being a “probable human carcinogen.” While the evidence that glyphosate is dangerous is mounting, the concern has been heightened because the chemical has been found in a number of common foods, including children’s breakfast cereal, and German beer. It has also been found in breast milk and feminine hygiene products.
Groups concerned with the environment and with food safety have lobbied the Environmental Protection Agency to ban the chemical.
Recently, a jury in California awarded a plaintiff $289 million based on claims that he allegedly developed cancer after being exposed to Roundup for many years. Bayer, which bought Monsanto, is arguing that the jury’s findings do not reflect scientific evidence. There are currently about 8,000 similar lawsuits pending in the United States.
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