Ag News
EPA: Glyphosate poses no human health risk
Posted on Feb 04, 2020 at 19:00 PM
On Jan. 22, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its interim registration review decision on glyphosate, the key active ingredient in Roundup and other similar herbicides that farmers use to control weeds.
The EPA did not identify any human health risks from exposure to glyphosate, though it did note potential ecological risks.
“The benefits outweigh the potential ecological risks when glyphosate is used according to label directions,” the agency wrote, noting that spray drift management labeling is required to reduce off-site spray drift to non-target organisms.
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) lauded the decision, noting that glyphosate is an important tool used across many crops and growing systems.
“This is a win for sustainable agriculture,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said. “[This] decision means farmers can continue to use conservation tillage and no-till methods on their farms to conserve soil, preserve and increase nutrients, improve water quality, trap excess carbon in the soil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That said, safety is our first priority and the science clearly shows that this tool is both safe and effective.”
The EPA released a draft of the registration review in April 2019. During the 120-day public comment period, the agency received approximately 283,300 comments.
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