GLYPHOSATE: THE WORLD’S MOST WIDELY USED HERBICIDE

The report examines the widespread use of glyphosate, noting a nearly 15-fold increase in global use since 1996 due to genetically modified crops. It details the emergence of glyphosate-resistant weeds and the contamination of surface and groundwater in Europe and North America. The document highlights scientific disputes over chronic toxicity, including carcinogenicity, and criticizes the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) for its 2017 re-evaluation decision, which critics argue relied on outdated, non-peer-reviewed industry data.

• Global glyphosate use reached 825,804 metric tonnes in 2014, with a nearly 15-fold increase in worldwide use since the 1996 introduction of glyphosate-tolerant genetically modified (GM) crops.
• The repeated use of glyphosate has led to the evolution of between 24 and 32 resistant weed species worldwide. In Canada, four to five species are reported, with turnip rape (Brassica rapa L.) confirmed in Québec.
• Glyphosate and its metabolite AMPA are frequently detected in natural waters. In Europe, surface water contamination frequency reached up to 92.5% for glyphosate and 100% for AMPA. In North America, detection frequency in groundwater is higher, reaching up to 100% in some cases.
• Glyphosate use is linked to the decline of important pollinators; it destroys milkweed, the primary food source for monarch butterfly caterpillars, and impairs the navigational capacity of bees.
• There is a significant scientific divide regarding chronic toxicity. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as a 'probable carcinogen for humans' (group 2A), while the JMPR, EPA, EFSA, ECHA, and PMRA concluded it is unlikely to be a human carcinogen.
• Critics argue that the Pest Management Regulatory Agency's (PMRA) 2017 re-evaluation of glyphosate was flawed because it relied on 118 non-peer-reviewed industry documents, 80.5% of which were over 11 years old.

APA

Soumis, N. (2018). GLYPHOSATE: THE WORLD’S MOST WIDELY USED HERBICIDE. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Backgrounder-Glyphosate-5-sept-2018.pdf

Chicago

Soumis, Nicolas. GLYPHOSATE: THE WORLD’S MOST WIDELY USED HERBICIDE. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, 2018. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Backgrounder-Glyphosate-5-sept-2018.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Soumis |first1=Nicolas |title=GLYPHOSATE: THE WORLD’S MOST WIDELY USED HERBICIDE |publisher=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |date=July 2018 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Backgrounder-Glyphosate-5-sept-2018.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{soumis2018glyphosate, author = {Soumis, Nicolas}, title = {{GLYPHOSATE: THE WORLD’S MOST WIDELY USED HERBICIDE}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2018}, month = jul, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Backgrounder-Glyphosate-5-sept-2018.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }