Glyphosate Safe?

The Environmental Protection Agency says one of the most used herbicides in the world, roundup with glyphosate, is not carcinogenic to humans.

In the EPA’s 36-page Interim Registration Review Decision, released on Friday, says that there is no apparent risk to human health.

“This is a win for sustainable agriculture,” said American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall.

EPA researchers have determined that there are no risks to human health from the currently registered uses of glyphosate and that glyphosate is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans, according to the document.

“That said, safety is our first priority and the science clearly shows that this tool is both safe and effective,” said Duvall.

The EPA announcement is just the latest regulatory agency reaffirming that glyphosate is not carcinogenic. Since the International Agency for Research on Cancer assessment in 2015, regulatory and scientific agencies support their scientific conclusions about the safety of glyphosate-based products. Years of research, they say, show that glyphosate has not been found to be carcinogenic when used according to label instructions.

“The decision means farmers can continue to use conservation tillage and no-till methods on their farms to conserve soil, preserve and increase nutrients, improve water quality, trap excess carbon in the soil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Duvall.

The agencies now supporting these safety findings include the European Food Safety Authority, European Chemicals Agency, German BfR, and Australian, Canadian, Korean, New Zealand and Japanese regulatory authorities, as well as the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues.