The Hub

 

Glyphosate has been a hot topic for anyone working in weed control in recent years. It can be difficult for those working in amenity to separate the agricultural facts from the ones relevant for amenity use. - Therefore, we've created the Glyphosate Hub for amenity professionals!

In the Hub you will find documentation, research and information about glyphosate use for amenity weed control. Helping amenity professionals sort their facts from fiction when it comes to glyphosate.

If you have any suggestions on how we can improve the hub, please let us know by contacting: amenity@bayer.com 

 

The Basics

 

What: Glyphosate is an effective and widely used herbicide that helps people around the world manage a variety of weeds, protecting crops and the land; it has a 40-year history of safe use.

 

How: Glyphosate works as one tool as part of an integrated weed management program that also includes prevention, cultural and biological controls.

 

The Background

 

First introduced in the 1970s, glyphosate is an extremely effective herbicide with a 40-year history of safe use. Its widespread adoption coincided with the introduction of crops genetically modified to tolerate glyphosate, allowing farmers to target weeds while protecting valuable crops.

 

Today, glyphosate-based products are the most widely used weed control products in the world. This widespread adoption is due not only to the effectiveness and extensive economic and environmental benefits, but also due to the strong safety profile of these products. 

 

The Highlights

 

• Glyphosate was commercialized over 40 years ago and is used in both agricultural and non-crop environments.  
• Glyphosate-based Roundup products have been used safely and successfully for over four decades worldwide. 
• Unlike most herbicides, glyphosate controls both grass and broadleaf weeds, making it one of the most important tools for weed management. 
• Scholars have referred to glyphosate as a “once-in-a-century” herbicide because of its high degree of efficacy and its positive safety profile.3
• Regulatory authorities routinely review all approved pesticide products and have consistently reaffirmed that glyphosate does not cause cancer.1,2

 

Experts agree it is safe to use

 

• Glyphosate is one of the most studied herbicides in the world – and, like all crop protection products, it is subject to rigorous testing and oversight by regulatory authorities.
• Regulatory authorities in the U.S., Europe, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Brazil, and elsewhere routinely review all approved pesticide products and have consistently reaffirmed that glyphosate does not cause cancer.4,5
• Evaluations spanning more than 40 years, and the overwhelming conclusion of experts and regulators worldwide, support the safety of glyphosate and glyphosate based-products.

 

Glyphosate promotes biodiversity and environmental sustainability 

 

• The environmental safety profile of glyphosate has been well-documented, including its minimal risk to non-target animals, such as honey bees, monarch butterflies, amphibians and many other wildlife species.6,7,8

 

Key Things to Remember

 

• For more than 40 years, farmers, gardeners, conservationists and other users have counted on glyphosate as a cost-effective tool that can be used safely to control a wide range of weeds. 
• Glyphosate is a breakthrough for modern agriculture, as it reduces the need for tilling fields, which saves time and costs for farmers, while also decreasing erosion and water loss to help keep soils healthy and reduce carbon emissions.
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and other regulatory authorities in Canada, Japan, Australia, Korea, Brazil and elsewhere routinely review all approved pesticide products. When it comes to safety assessments, glyphosate is among the most extensively tested pesticides on the market. 

 

References

1. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/draft-human-health-and-ecological-risk-assessments-glyphosate
2. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).https://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/170523-efsa-statement-glyphosate.pdf 
3. Dr. Stephen Duke, Research Leader, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18273882
4. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/draft-human-health-and-ecological-risk-assessments-glyphosate
5. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).https://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/170523-efsa-statement-glyphosate.pdf6. Growing Our Future.https://glyphosateinfo.monsanto.com/how-glyphosate-is-helping-to-lower-co2-emissions/  7. ECPA Infographic on glyphosate.http://www.ecpa.eu/sites/default/files/ECPA_glyphosate_infographic_web_0.pdf8. Giesy et al. (2000). Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, vol 167.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-1156-3_2