Glyphosate "increases the risk of cancer by 41%"

PPeople who are highly exposed to glyphosate are 41% more likely to develop a type of cancer called non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), according to a new study.

Scientists at the University of Washington said their findings confirm "a convincing link" between glyphosate herbicide exposures, such as the world's most popular herbicide Roundup, and an increased risk of NHL.

The research goes against US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) badurances on herbicide safety, but regulators in several countries are considering limiting the use of glyphosate in agriculture.

The Guardian reported that Monsanto and its German owner Bayer face more than 9,000 lawsuits in the United States by people with NHL who believe that Monsanto's glyphosate herbicides are responsible for their condition.

A spokesman for Bayer / Monsanto said the study was "flawed" and contradicted the extensive scientific data of regulatory authorities, including the European Food Safety Authorities (EFSA), the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) Chemicals (ECHA), EPA and Health Canada.

Sarah Mukherjee, Executive Director of the UK's Crop Protection Agency (CPA), added that the debate on glyphosate safety was more about politics and activism than about science.

Rob Percival, head of food and health policy for the Soil Association, said, "This study is further evidence that the government needs to help farmers end their reliance on potentially harmful chemicals.

"The same week that pesticides were badociated with devastating insect losses, this study points out that weed killer glyphosate also poses a threat to human health."

He added: "In the UK, the use of pesticides has increased dramatically in recent decades. Farmers have been little encouraged to innovate and adopt more agroecological systems and practices, such as agroforestry and organic farming.

"By using ecosystem services and chemicals first, we can produce abundant and healthy food while supporting wildlife – using far fewer pesticides.

"The Farm Bill is the perfect time to rethink our food and agriculture system. The government should use it to help farmers get off the pesticide treadmill, with legally binding targets for reducing the use of pesticides and on-farm payments supporting agroecological approaches. "

For this study, researchers examined epidemiological studies published between 2001 and 2018, focusing on human research, but also taking into account evidence provided by laboratory animals.