This one is going to be a technical one. Hopefully, though, it will be interesting, because it’s something I and farmers around the country are currently worrying about. 

There is a question mark hanging over us about whether glyphosate will continue to be permitted for use as a weedkiller in farms and gardens around the country. The EU has delayed a number of times its decision on whether to reauthorise use of the chemical, with member states split as to how to vote. A final decision is now imminent. 

Glyphosate is the world’s most widely-used weedkiller. It is the key chemical component in “Roundup”, bottles of which you will see in supermarkets everywhere. Glyphosate is used on railway lines, golf courses, sports grounds; in farming we use it to spray the weeds on our fields when preparing a seedbed to grow a crop. 

So what is the reason for the delay on reauthorisation? Sensationalism. The vast majority of health bodies from around the world have declared glyphosate safe for use. The WHO conclude that glyphosate poses minimal risk to people, non-target plants and animals when used correctly. The European Food Safety Authority, which is the relevant scientific organisation, have also recommended speedy reauthorisation. 

The only body to suggest that glyphosate might pose a health risk is the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) which concluded it is “probably carcinogenic to humans”. However according to the IARC’s classifications, drinking hot drinks, working as a hairdresser, and working night-shifts are as likely to cause cancer as glyphosate; sunlight and drinking alcohol are more likely to.

Now, how often have we all seen sensationalist headlines in the papers: “Chocolate causes cancer!”; “Roast potatoes cause cancer!”; “Living causes cancer!” But whereas no-one could realistically act on all these doom-laden warnings, the EU can happily procrastinate on this crucial decision. 

Now, here’s the irony: if glyphosate were to be banned, we would produce less food in the EU and we would be forced to import more food from places which are unregulated and where both glyphosate and also much more harmful chemicals are used. Common sense isn’t a phrase normally associated with the EU, but in this situation, I would urge them to take the common sense approach.