Canada Needs a New Pesticide Playbook
As Canada pivots away from the United States and the rules of the game change, we need a serious rethink on pesticide regulation.
Right now, decision-making on pesticides is structurally integrated with that of the United States, creating problems for Canada’s trade agenda, the health of Canadians and even the Government itself. We need a new playbook.
Case in point is the approval of three new PFAS, or “forever chemicals.” Since late 2025, the U.S. EPA has approved cyclobutrifluram, isocycloseram and epyrifenacil, and Health Canada’s Pesticides Regulatory Directorate (the successor to the PMRA) has followed closely behind on all three:
Pesticide
🇺🇸 EPA final approval
🇨🇦 Pesticide Regulatory Directorate registration
Cyclobutrifluram
US: Nov. 5, 2025
CDA: RD2025-12, Dec. 19, 2025 – six weeks later
Isocycloseram
US: Nov. 20, 2025—one action, all uses together
CDA: RD2026-03, Jan. 28, 2026 – 12 weeks later (cockroach bait + cereal seed treatment) and
CDA: R D2026-13, May 21, 2026 (foliar/soil uses on corn, leafy vegetables, …Read More
We’re taking Health Canada to court over glyphosate.
We’re taking Health Canada to court over glyphosate.
This video was recorded in 2019 for Giving Tuesday, but since then, Moms Across America tested Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour and found it contains high levels of glyphosate!
The findings make our lawsuit that much more important.
We know there are many worthy causes out there, but if you care about what’s in the food you’re eating, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Safe Food Matters’ legal fund.
Federal Cabinet Gives Itself Power to Sidestep Regulations, Including on Pesticides
Safe Food Matters President Mary Lou McDonald joined veteran broadcaster Keith Wiley recently on The Ecocentric Radio Show to discuss the federal government’s new powers to sidestep regulations, including those affecting pesticides and environmental protections.
The conversation examines recent legislative changes that could allow federal cabinet to override certain regulatory requirements, raising important questions about transparency, democratic oversight and the future of Canada’s regulatory system.
Drawing on Safe Food Matters’ ongoing work to hold Health Canada accountable for pesticide decisions, McDonald also discusses the organization’s ongoing glyphosate litigation, which challenges Health Canada’s regulation of glyphosate and raises broader concerns about Canada’s pesticide approval process and regulatory oversight. The conversation explores why these issues matter for Canadians and what the new legislation could mean for environmental and public health protections.
🎧 Click on image below to listen to the full Interview:
Hosted by Keith Wiley on The Ecocentric Radio Show, Canada’s longest-running
environmental news radio broadcast, with …Read More
Holding Health Canada to Account on Glyphosate
Safe Food Matters is standing strong in its challenge over dismissed objections and failed risk assessment
By Mary Lou McDonald, President, Safe Food Matters
Glyphosate was re-registered by Health Canada in 2017, and Canadians were granted 60 days to file any objections. The Pest Control Products Act (the Act) permitted this pursuant to its mandate to “facilitate public participation in the decision-making on pesticides”. Safe Food Matters Inc. filed a notice of objection (NoO) on June 27, 2017.
The Notice of Objection
There were nine objections in the notice. They followed three themes.
Pre-harvest spraying of glyphosate on crops raises a health risk that wasn’t examined in the scientific assessment. Consumption of these crops (like chickpeas) has increased significantly since the assessment.
The ten-fold safety factor to protect children had not been applied.
The labels for how to spray weren’t good enough to protect Canadians from the risks.
When we submitted the objections, we thought …Read More
Legal Challenge Filed Over Federal Approval of PFAS Pesticide
As Health Canada and ECCC Move to Eliminate PFAS, PMRA Approves Two “Forever Chemical” Pesticides
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, February 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Health and environmental organizations have filed a Federal Court application challenging Health Canada’s approval of cyclobutrifluram, a fluorinated pesticide classified as a PFAS, for use on food crops in Canada.
The application, filed on Jan. 19, 2026, seeks judicial review of a decision by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) authorizing cyclobutrifluram for use on romaine lettuce and as a soybean seed treatment.
Safe Food Matters is leading the case, joined by co-applicants Friends of the Earth Canada and Prevent Cancer Now.
The applicants allege the PMRA acted unreasonably, did not comply with the law, and were biased in their assessment. They say the approval is inconsistent with federal policy and that PMRA failed to properly assess the risks associated with the PFAS chemical, part of a class of substances known to …Read More
Mad Dog Case on Glyphosate: PMRA Refuses Action on New Science
Health Canada dismisses significance of new science, including forest studies, leaving Safe Food Matters to consider further action.
Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has decided to not take any steps regarding the registration of glyphosate, even after the Court ordered it to look at new science.
Safe Food Matters is reviewing PMRA’s decision to do nothing and is considering next steps.
PMRA took the decision, even though it was aware of new science from the Ramazinni institute that shows glyphosate causes cancer, and even though it was aware of risks to peoples who eat forest food from Safe Food Matters’ Forest Spraying & Forest Food Report that shows high levels of glyphosate arise in berries after forest spraying and that Indigenous peoples (and others) eat these berries.
The PMRA was told by the Federal Court on March 3, 2025, to redetermine the application for renewal of a glyphosate product, “Mad Dog Plus,” …Read More
Win on Glyphosate Product Case!
“Trust us, we got it right” isn’t good enough. Safe Food Matters and friends won in the glyphosate product renewal case, when on February 18 the Federal Court uled that the renewal of a pesticide product used in forestry and agriculture was not reasonable because Health Canada’s decision-making was not adequate.
Glyphosate Product: Safe Food Matters back in court
On January 22, 2025, Safe Food Matters will be in court again, fighting over glyphosate. Our original – still ongoing -lawsuit was about Health Canada’s decision to register glyphosate (“Registration Decision”), and this one is about the 5 year renewal of a product that contains the pesticide. Details on how to attend in person or watch are at the end of this piece.
This fight is about the product “Mad Dog Plus”, and the fact that the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) routinely renews products, on a 5 year basis, without looking into new science on risks arising after major registration decisions.
In 2022 a coalition of groups, us included, provided the PMRA with a list of studies on glyphosate showing new risks, and it appears PMRA did not look into them – at least they couldn’t provide any evidence to show they did.
Mad Dog Plus is used on crops, forests, and …Read More
Safe Food Matters Goes Back to Court June 13 with Health Canada on Glyphosate
On June 13, 2023, Safe Food Matters returns to federal court in its ongoing battle with Health Canada over glyphosate, Canada’s most widely used herbicide.
This is the first step in our second lawsuit against Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) for re-registering this harmful pesticide. We are seeking documents to show what’s really going on behind closed doors at the PMRA.
Why? Because something’s not right. In February, 2022, the Federal Court of Appeal ordered the PMRA to review our “Notice of Objection” for a second time – and the Court even provided “Guidance” to PMRA on how to address the issues. But PMRA did not follow the Guidance.
More than that, PMRA bent over backward to not address the concerns we raised. PMRA rewrote history. PMRA made up totally new legal tests. PMRA defied the rules of procedural fairness. It is clear PMRA does not want a review panel, even though the law allows for it.
So what’s going on?
SAFE FOOD MATTERS SUES AGAIN ON GLYPHOSATE
TORONTO – November 2, 2022 –
Safe Food Matters Inc. has launched its second lawsuit against Health Canada over its 2017 re-registration of glyphosate.
It claims Health Canada, through the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), acted unreasonably and unfairly when on September 29, 2022 it rejected the group’s objections for the second time.
Safe Food Matters initially sued PMRA in 2019, lost in federal court, then appealed. The appeal was successful and on February 2, 2022, the Federal Court of Appeal directed PMRA to reconsider the objections, and to follow the Guidance of the Court when doing so.
The Court issued the Guidance to avoid the ‘endless merry-go-round of judicial reviews and subsequent re-determinatons. It aims to force PMRA to do its job and protect Canadians from the harms of pesticides.
Mary Lou McDonald, president of Safe Food Matters, commented:
“This is EXACTLY what the Court of Appeal didn’t want – PMRA is making …Read More
