VIDEO: 48 European Parliament Representatives test positive for pesticide

Published by Marie-Amélie Brun on

pesticideappsign

Results of urine tests taken from 48 Members of the European Parliament reveal traces of glyphosate, a well known herbicide.

It is used in pesticides from brands such as Dow, Monsanto (round up) and Syngenta. The euro Deputies’ levels of herbicide were 17 times higher than normal levels. This result illustrates the rapidity and danger of the spread of the product that we all ingest, to various degrees, through the food we eat.

The debate has been revived by the decision facing euro deputies on the 18th and 19th of May. They will have to choose whether or not to renew authorisation of the pesticide for 9 more years. Classified as “probably” carcinogenic by the WHO in 2015, the pesticide still seems to pass the European tests, mostly thanks to a controversial study by the European Food Security Authority (EFSA), which concluded on the harmlessness of the product. Today, a new report from the WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) also concluded on the absence of risks for the pesticide. It is now up to the euro deputies to make a decision on the continued use of the pesticide.

This week’s vote will determine the fate of glyphosate use in our countryside.

 

cycle of glyphosate

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Marie-Amélie Brun

Marie-Amélie is a contributor to the Green News. She is currently completing a Masters in International Cooperation and Multilingual Communication at the University Grenoble Alpes.