Pressure grows over glyphosate ahead of major UK review

Pressure is mounting on the government over the future of glyphosate use in UK farming, as the NFU and environmental campaigners clash ahead of a major regulatory review later this year.

The Health and Safety Executive is expected to launch a public consultation this summer on whether approval for glyphosate should continue beyond December 2026, when the current licence is due to expire.

Green campaigners are stepping up pressure on ministers to ban the use of glyphosate as a pre-harvest drying agent in the UK, following the European Union’s decision to prohibit the practice in 2023.

Glyphosate is used by some cereal and oilseed growers before harvest to dry crops evenly, control difficult weeds, reduce disease risks and help prepare fields for the following season.

Farmers argue the herbicide also helps crops ripen more evenly and allows harvesting to be completed more efficiently during difficult weather conditions.

The Soil Association recently launched a campaign calling for an end to the use of glyphosate as a pre-harvest desiccant, arguing the chemical can leave residues in products including bread, breakfast cereals and beer.

Some scientific studies have also suggested possible links between glyphosate exposure and cancer or other illnesses, although regulators in both the UK and EU have repeatedly concluded the chemical is safe when used correctly.

NFU deputy president Paul Tompkins said international regulators had consistently reviewed the available evidence supporting glyphosate’s continued use.

“Regulatory bodies around the world have consistently assessed the full weight of scientific evidence and found that glyphosate is safe when used responsibly,” he said.

Tompkins said extensive independent reviews had concluded any residues found in food remained “well within strict safety limits”.

He added that the NFU expected the UK review process to renew approval for glyphosate for a further 15 years.

“Glyphosate remains an essential tool for our farmers and growers,” he said.

Tompkins argued Britain’s maritime climate and increasingly unpredictable weather conditions made the herbicide particularly important for helping growers manage harvesting, control weeds and reduce disease pressure.

The NFU has repeatedly argued that glyphosate and other plant protection products play a critical role in crop protection and food production, insisting future decisions should be guided by science and evidence rather than political pressure.

Glyphosate remains one of the most widely studied pesticides in the world. Between 2019 and 2023, EU regulators reassessed evidence relating to the chemical and concluded it was not carcinogenic and did not pose critical concerns for human health or the environment when used under approved conditions.

Despite the EU’s ban on pre-harvest desiccation use, glyphosate remains approved for other applications across Europe.

In Great Britain, ministers previously extended glyphosate authorisation to allow regulators more time to review updated scientific and regulatory evidence ahead of the forthcoming consultation.

The outcome of the review is expected to play a major role in shaping future crop protection policy across UK agriculture.