German Ministers call for EU-wide ban on Monsanto’s glyphosate herbicide

Monsanto may be expanding its operations in the United States, but elsewhere, lawmakers, scientists, activists and ordinary citizens are increasingly questioning (and in many cases banning) the introduction of GM crops, along with the use of the glyphosate herbicide (Monsanto’s Roundup).

State consumer protection ministers in Germany are advocating an EU-wide ban on glyphosate herbicides in response to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) categorization of the chemical as “probably carcinogenic.”

On May 8, the German state ministers introduced a resolution calling for “the supply to and use by private persons to be banned for precautionary reasons.” The resolution also recommends prohibiting use of the herbicide near consumers.
Christian Meyer, chairman of the Consumer Protection Minister Conference, said: “This pesticide should not be found in gardens, parks or on children’s playgrounds. I also do not think use in private gardens is appropriate.”
Unfortunately, the German federal government sees “no need for action,” according to the news website EurActiv.com.

This latest battle between those who recognize the dangers associated with glyphosate use and those who seek to protect the immensely powerful and profitable GMO agriculture industry as a whole reflects the global controversy surrounding the technology.