Argentina organization applied for the suspension of the use of glyphosate

The Argentina Association of environmental lawyers (AADEAA) launched an appeal before the Supreme Court of Justice of the nation to suspend the commercialization, sale and application of glyphosate and endosulfan (insecticide).

Aware by any new government measure that could affect the field, producers and sectors related to the provision of inputs, rejected the possibility to suspend the use of glyphosate, a key herbicide for the advance of soybean production.

The organization mentioned a study of the laboratory of molecular embryology of the National Council of Scientific and Technical research (CONICET) and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Buenos Aires about the alleged disorder to human health produced by glyphosate.

The alarm was triggered in the agricultural sector. "We are before a deep attack against the sector," a source of the agrochemical industry said. "It would be a nonsense suspension. It would be like not to be allowed to use diesel for tractors” said Guillermo Cal, Executive Director of the Argentinean Chamber of Fertilizers and Agriculture and livestock Sanity.  CAL emphasized that there are no serious scientist studies in Argentina and the world that invalidate the glyphosate.

A source from the National Service of Food and Agriculture Sanity and Quality(SENASA) said that a copy of the study about glyphosate was requested by the laboratory that carried out the report but "So far nothing has been received". Other industry members also asked for the study, but did not succeed. According to Cal, the use of glyphosate was suspended, "Yields should fall around 30/40 per cent". Santiago del Solar, producer, warned that it would return to cultivations with low productivity and erosion. "It would diminish the surface," said producer Arnolfo Calvo.

Glyphosate is one of the key pieces of the oleaginous production. It is an herbicide active ingredient which aims to control weeds that compete or may compete with the crop for vital resources, such as light, water and nutrients.

Registered before the National Service of Food and Agriculture Sanity and Quality (SENASA), glyphosate has been used in Argentina for the past 33 years. In the world, more than 140 countries are using it. Around 160 million liters are sold every year in Argentina, a market that represents more than $600 million turnovers. The multinational Monsanto has about 40% of the market and competes with Atanor and other companies which import the product.