"Don't give up on faith in science"

MEP for VVD Jan Huitema sees a lack of common sense in the response to the European authorisation of glyphosate. The pesticide was a carcinogenic on and off for a while, something that seemed to depend less on the chemical composition than the political agenda or people's convictions.

Huitema: "Some decisions in Europe take a lot of time and effort. Take for example allowing crop protection agents. There is a special decision-making process for this in the EU that makes sure all evidence is considered and everyone is heard. It is the same for glyphosate. This is one of the most commonly used weedkillers in the world. The scientific authorities in the European Union looked at this carefully. They concluded that glyphosate isn't carcinogenic. Politics, however, completely hijacked the discussion.

The European Parliament tightened its grasp last year and pleaded for a short allowance. I was very against this, as science should lead these kinds of discussions! They decided to wait for one more study: that of the European Chemical Agency. They brought out their results this week: based on the current scientific knowledge, they concluded that glyphosate isn't a carcinogen and doesn't change heredity traits or affect fertility. A clear call. This should clear up any doubts.

It is good to look at alternatives and ways to use less crop protection agents, such as precision agriculture. But completely banning glyphosate is complete nonsense. I don't think we should give up on our faith in science. I will continue to fight this, it's a matter of common sense."

Source: Jan Huitema Facebook page