2023-10-13 07:20:28
Margaux Fodéré / Photo credit: PHILIPPE HUGUEN / AFP
The European Commission could confirm this Friday the extension of the authorization of glyphosate, a very controversial phytosanitary product with potential carcinogenicity. Voted for the last time in 2017, the authorization of this herbicide was to run until the end of 2022.
This is a highly anticipated vote. In July, a study by the European Food Safety Authority did not identify any “areas of critical concern” regarding glyphosate, although it was classified in 2015 as a “probable carcinogen” for humans by the World Health Organization (WHO). ). The product could therefore be authorized until December 15, 2033, if the proposal obtained a qualified majority of Member States. If it is possible that glyphosate will still be authorized for ten years, it is because there are not many equally affordable alternatives.
Give time to research
Some farmers weed with machines, others place tarpaulins to prevent weeds from growing. But today these methods cost more, explains Xavier Reboud, research director at INRAE in Dijon “We found that the additional costs of doing without glyphosate for farmers who used it in large crops range between 10 and 80 euros per plot per year. In viticulture and arboriculture, the costs are higher and can rise between 100 and 300 euros per hectare per year,” explains the specialist.
There is also a question of performance, so we have to wait. The ten-year reprieve proposed by the European Commission would give time for research to find other methods that would not reduce crop yields.
“The country in Europe that uses the most phytosanitary products is the Netherlands at a rate of more than ten kilos per year per hectare. And as luck would have it, Dutch agriculture is considered the most productive in Europe. When we want high yields, we are going towards the most chemical solutions”, notes Xavier Hollandts, professor of agricultural strategies at Kedge Business School. In France, a tax credit already provides financial support to farmers who want to do without glyphosate.
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