New Glyphosate studies find risks with “on-label” preharvest use
Legal limits are exceeded even when spray labels are followed.
Conclusion of the Transformation Agenda: Nothing Transformed
On August 4, 2021, Health Canada announced:
it was pausing proposed increases to pesticide Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs), including for glyphosate
the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) would receive $42 million over three years “to further strengthen its human and environmental health and safety oversight and protection”- the Transformation Agenda.
Three years later, and $42 million later, nothing has been transformed. The PMRA is consulting on 4 proposed regulations, that do NOT strengthen protection from pesticides. Two of them do nothing, and two actually make matters worse.
This is despite the fact that PMRA received almost 20,000 comments from members of the public on the proposal to increase MRLs of glyphosate. It dismissed 94% of the comments, and intends to carry on as usual.
Proposed MRL Regulation
PMRA says in the consultation document that:
“the current MRL setting process protects human health and does not require changes”.
However, the current process does not protect human health. …Read More
Forest Spraying 3: Forest Fires
Glyphosate is the main pesticide being sprayed on Canadian forests, and it increases the risk of forest fires.
2023 Forest Fires
The 2023 forest fires in Canada were devastating and destructive. Almost 19 million hectares of forest were burned – markedly more than the previous average of 2.5 million hectares. Hundreds of fires exceeded 10,000 hectares and were considered ““megafires”. (NASA Earth Observatory) Some fires smoldered underground and are emerging as “zombies” fires.
Smoke emitted from the wildfires caused air quality alerts and evacuations in Canada and the United States. In late June, 2023, the smoke crossed the Atlantic, reaching Europe.
Contributing Factors
Climate change is considered a contributing factor. Warmer and drier weather makes vegetation more flammable, increasing the risk of fire.
The forest management practise of spraying with glyphosate is also a contributing factor, in at least two respects. First, spraying the forest with glyphosate- based herbicides dries down the forest even more. Second, …Read More
FOREST SPRAYING 2: UNSAFE FOOD
Glyphosate is the main pesticide being sprayed on Canadian forests. Spraying is a big a problem:
for people who forage, including First Nations
for forest animals
for hunters
People who forage
People who forage for forest plants are at risk. Two recent studies show that glyphosate persists in forest plants for years, including in wild blueberries and raspberries. The University of Northern British Columbia studies are: (1)“The presence of glyphosate in forest plants with different life strategies one year after application” (2) “Glyphosate remains in forest plant tissues for a decade or more”. (BC Forest Studies)
The first study tested plants one year after spraying, and found glyphosate in newly grown shoots and berries that were not sprayed, which was not expected. All the plants tested positive for glyphosate, with the highest levels found in the roots. The take away is glyphosate is stored in the roots in the dormant season and moves …Read More
Forest Spraying 1: Based on Faulty Approval
Pesticides are being sprayed on Canadian forests, killing the diversity of forest life. The resulting harms are plant and animal death, destruction of forest foods, and accelerating forest fires.
How is this allowed?
The registration approval for this use of pesticides comes from the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) of Health Canada, the agency responsible for “managing pests”. The licenses to spray are then granted by the provinces. (Quebec has banned forestry spraying since 2001.)
PMRA says that unwanted trees and brush are “pests”. Pests are defined in the “Pest Control” law to include “a plant… that is injurious, noxious or troublesome”.
So trees are a troublesome pest? The forest industry and PMRA think they are. The aim of industry is to “harvest” one type of tree “crop”, usually evergreens (conifers), and get rid of the leafy trees (broadleaf) that get in the way – the pests.
The PMRA Glyphosate Approval
Glyphosate …Read More
EU Renews Glyphosate – Kind of
The European Commission has officially renewed the registration of glyphosate at the European level. But it’s left much of the actual decision making to individual member states.
Desiccation is outlawed, and use within 60 days of harvest is not allowed on agricultural crops. (Safe Food Matters has been in court with Health Canada over this issue for years.)
Risks and assessments left to individual states include:
the coformulants (other ingredients) contained in GLY products
exposure of consumers from foods grown in fields where GLY was sprayed the year prior
protection of groundwater and surface water
risks to small animals
indirect effects on biodiversity
application by people who aren’t professionals
use in public areas
In some cases, the Commission said it wasn’t sure of the risks. It didn’t have good data on small animals, or methods to determine indirect effects on biodiversity, for example.
But it went ahead and approved the pesticide anyways. Various organizations …Read More
Europe to Ban Pre-Harvest Glyphosate on Crops – so should Canada
On November 16, 2023 the European Commission announced it is set to renew glyphosate in Europe for another 10 years, but will ban desiccation – where spraying occurs to kill the crop for easier harvest. Spraying before harvest to kill weeds will also not be allowed for 60 days prior to harvest on farmed crops (1).
Preliminary Hearing on Oct 24 2023 over Glyphosate Product Renewal
On October 24, 2023, Safe Food Matters is n Federal Court with other groups in the first step of its “product renewal case” over a glyphosate product. We are seeking documents to show what science, if any, PMRA looked at in its renewal.
Update 2 on Increasing MRLs: Comments due Sept 8 2023 and MRL Issues Summary
Health Canada has extended the comment period for proposed regulations on MRLs until September 8, 2023. On June 20, 2023 it announced it was seeking comments on its Notice of Intent NOI2023-01 for new regulations on pesticide maximum residue limits (MRLs).
The new MRL regulations require publication of a notice when there is a proposed increase. That is all. No substantive changes are being made to the MRL process.
The comment period for the NOI was extended from August 19 until September 8, 2023.
See our previous post on the NOI and suggestions for comments.
Below is an executive summary/ explanation of the MRL issues.
Context: Government Paused and is Now Increasing MRLs
– In Summer 2021, the government paused a proposal from Bayer/ Monsanto to increase the MRLs for glyphosate/Roundup allowed on lentils and beans/peas by 3 and 4 fold.
– The pause was because there was huge public outcry and it was election time.
– Health Canada is head …Read More
Update: PMRA Transformation Agenda, Increasing MRLs and Action
“Tractor Fertilize Field Pesticide And Insecticide” by aqua.mech is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Update: PMRA Transformation Agenda, Increasing MRLs and Action
Resignations, Increasing MRLs, and Weak Proposals
Remember two years ago? It was election time. Health Canada proposed higher levels of Roundup in food at the request of Bayer/Monsanto, the public screamed foul-play, and the government paused the proposal.
A “transformation agenda” was kicked off to fix the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), a new team was brought in, and a Science Advisory Committee was established to provide advice to PMRA.
So here we are, two years later, $42 million later, thousands of hours of consulting on the “transformation agenda” later… and what’s the update?
The Chair of the Science Advisory Committee has resigned, citing an “obsolete regulatory system that protects the pest industry more than it protects Canadians”.
PMRA is going ahead with increases of pesticides allowed in foods – the “pause” was lifted on June …Read More
