Vaud intends to limit the use of glyphosate

The Cantonal Vaud Government intends to reduce the use of glyphosate herbicide on its territory. By 2022, all producers of state-owned wine, fruit and agricultural products should refrain from the controversial herbicide.

EU countries decided in late November 2017 to extend glyphosate approval for five years. This was followed by massive demonstrations.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization has classified the herbicide known as Roundup in March 2015 as "probably carcinogenic" to humans. The drug was launched by Monsanto in the 1970s and is used as a broad spectrum herbicide in agriculture, horticulture, industry and private households.

In search of an alternative to glyphosate

A federal study in May 2018 showed that in Switzerland, 40% of the food contained measurable traces of glyphosate. However, the concentrations measured were all below the allowed values.

The Federal Council had therefore come to the conclusion that it was not necessary to act from the point of view of health. He shared the assessment of the EU and spoke out against a ban on glyphosate.

The Vaud government is more cautious. He wishes to submit an action plan to the Cantonal Parliament and carry out pilot tests at the University of Applied Sciences for fruit and viticulture as well as on public agricultural land to find alternatives to the use glyphosate.

The canton of Vaud takes its responsibility towards the environment and the health of citizens and citizens perceive it, said FDP government adviser Jacqueline de Quattro.

In the canton of Vaud in 2017, water was analyzed in several rivers and found that 30 percent of the samples exceeded permissible glyphosate concentrations. 19659019] Horizontal Line