GLYPHOSATE CONFIRMED AS A PROBABLE HUMAN CARCINOGEN BY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
PESTICIDE JOINS INTERNATIONAL ‘HIGHLY HAZARDOUS’ LIST SLATED FOR PHASEOUT August 7, 2015
On
July 29, 2015 a branch of the World Health Organization (WHO) released a
monograph of the herbicide glyphosate on which it had based its earlier
decision that this chemical is a probable carcinogen for humans. With
this action, glyphosate officially joins the list of highly hazardous
pesticides (HHPs).
Pesticide
Action Network International welcomes the confirmation of the decision
of the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
regarding glyphosate’s carcinogenicity, which is long overdue. However,
PAN International thinks that the IARC has underestimated the threats
from this chemical. PAN International’s regional centers jointly issued
the following statement:
“PAN
International calls on governments and policymakers to take immediate
measures to curtail and stop the use of herbicide formulations
containing glyphosate applied to genetically engineered seeds, other
crops, in urban areas and home gardens. The network reiterates its call
to governments to develop an action plan to address the concerns
highlighted in scientific studies and the IARC’s evaluation of
glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen. Glyphosate also now joins the
growing list of highly hazardous pesticides that should be phased out
and banned immediately.”
PAN
International raised specific concerns with the IARC’s analysis. While
IARC rightly concluded that dermal and ingestion exposure are major
routes for human exposure, it downplayed inhalation. Glyphosate
inhalation during use and as a result of drift is also an important
route of exposure, especially where there is spraying over vast areas,
for example in the United States, Brazil and Argentina, where it is used
on genetically engineered crops.
“The
conclusion of the IARC on glyphosate as a probable carcinogen is not a
surprise to the thousands of people in Argentina and countries in the
region who are suffering the health impacts from continuous exposure to
glyphosate, especially in the areas where massive glyphosate spraying
takes place,” says Javier Souza, chair of PAN International.
“Glyphosate-related illnesses and serious diseases are common among
people in the rural areas around soybean farms.”
People
all over the world are exposed to this herbicide, through residues in
food and water, through skin contact as identified by the IARC, and also
through inhalation.
“IARC’s
report mentions glyphosate residues found in food as well as in surface
and groundwater, posing a threat to human health. However, it is also
present in rainfall, which increases the risk for human exposure,” says
Carina Weber, coordinator of PAN Germany.
The
IARC report mentions that there is little information on occupational
or community exposure to glyphosate. “Glyphosate is extensively used
around the globe on glyphosate resistant crops as well as on other
crops, and in urban areas. This creates a considerable risk of exposure
to agricultural workers, farmers, and rural and urban communities,” says
Judy Hatcher, regional coordinator of PAN North America. She adds “that
there has been so little monitoring of glyphosate exposure is really
unacceptable.”
IARC’s
classification of glyphosate is the result of a yearlong evaluation by
worldwide independent experts who reviewed the publicly available
scientific literature on the carcinogenicity of glyphosate.
Keith
Tyrell, coordinator of PAN UK, says, “It has taken 40 years and
thousands of injured people, whose health has been seriously undermined
by exposure to glyphosate, to finally have WHO recognition about at
least one of the hazards of this pesticide.”
“How
much more do farmers, agricultural workers, and rural communities have
to endure for the world to take action and eliminate highly hazardous
pesticides from the planet?” asks Abou Thiam, regional coordinator of
PAN Africa.
Sarojeni
Rengam, regional coordinator of PAN Asia Pacific, observes, “IARC’s
pronouncement on glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen sends a
wake-up call on the dangers posed by highly hazardous pesticides. It is
time that governments and decision-makers implement policies to phase
out HHPs and advance sustainable agriculture that protects human health
and the environment.”
For
more about PAN International and over 300 organizations that have
joined the global call to ban highly hazardous pesticides and replace
them with agroecological alternatives, visit http://pan- international.org/.
###
Pesticide
Action Network (PAN) is a network of over 600 participating
nongovernmental organizations, institutions and individuals in over 90
countries working to replace the use of hazardous pesticides with
ecologically sound and socially just alternatives.
http://pan-international.org/ release/glyphosate-confirmed- as-a-probable-human- carcinogen-by-the-world- health-organization/
Contact:
Javier Souza, Chair of PAN International & regional coordinator of PAN Latin America: javierrapal@yahoo. com.ar, +54 11 36171782
Paul Towers, organizing and media director, PAN North America:ptowers@panna.org, cell: +1 916 216 1082
Sarojeni Rengam, regional coordinator, PAN Asia Pacific:sarojeni.rengam@panap. net, +6 04 657 0271
Abou Thiam, regional coordinator, PAN Africa: abouthiam@pan-afrique. org, +221 338254914
Keith Tyrell, coordinator, PAN UK: keithtyrell@pan-uk.org, +44 7588 706224
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