25 July 2024
CropLife Australia and its members acknowledge the decision of the Federal Court of Australia which is in line with every scientific regulatory authority on the planet – that glyphosate is safe to use in accordance with the label and is not carcinogenic.
“Today’s verdict reflects what science and independent expert assessment has confirmed for decades,” said Chief Executive Officer of CropLife Australia, the national peak industry organisation for the plant science sector, Mr. Matthew Cossey.
“This is a welcome outcome and confirms the appropriateness of the independent science-based regulatory system overseen by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA).
Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum herbicide used around the world for 50 years, which revolutionised sustainable farming practices because of how effective and safe it is. As a result, it is the most thoroughly assessed pesticide in the world. In 2017, the APVMA reviewed a range of up-to-date scientific publications, including the International Agency for Research on Cancer, on the safety of glyphosate. This evaluation concluded that glyphosate does not pose carcinogenic risk to humans and there was no reason to commence a formal chemical review for glyphosate products.
Since then, the APVMA continue to amass the global literature on the subject. In the last 12 months alone, the APVMA have assessed 600 newly published studies on glyphosate, with no change to its position. These latest studies now constitute the most recent addition to the 5,300 peer-reviewed articles and datasets assessed as part of its ongoing support for continued registration. Any one of these studies could have either triggered a full review, or a cancellation of the chemical if there were any plausible risk to farmers, consumers, or the environment.
The decision of the APVMA is consistent with that of its global peers, including The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the EU’s Assessment Group on Glyphosate (AGG), the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the leading health authorities in Germany, Australia, Korea, Canada, New Zealand, Japan.
In July 2023 the EU Commission re-approved glyphosate for 10 years, following scientific assessments by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in 2023 which ‘did not identify any critical areas of concern’ impacting public health or the environment.
Mr. Cossey concluded, “Aside from the overwhelming amount of scientific data, there are decades of lived experience in the US Agricultural Health Study. Since 1993 the US study has followed over 57,000 farmers and licensed pesticide applicators and confirmed that there is no association between glyphosate use and cancer of any kind, including NHL in humans.”
– ENDS