Campaigners are calling for a ban on glyphosate after an analysis of government data revealed that use of the herbicide in the UK has risen tenfold over the past 30 years. More than 2,200 tonnes were sprayed by farmers in 2024, with over half applied to wheat and other cereals, raising concerns about public health and environmental damage.
The practice of spraying glyphosate just before harvest was pioneered by Scottish farmers in the 1980s to help crops dry in damp conditions. Since then, its use has expanded to thousands of tonnes annually on farmland, municipal green spaces, and domestic gardens. However, the chemical's safety record is now deeply contested, especially after the World Health Organization classified it as 'probably carcinogenic to humans' in 2015.
Nick Mole of Pesticide Action Network UK, which conducted the analysis, said: 'The UK's glyphosate addiction has spiralled out of control. We know that glyphosate has links to a range of cancers and other life-threatening diseases. And that it damages the environment, polluting our waters and harming wildlife.' The group is urging the government to phase out and ultimately ban the substance.
Some experts note that the rise in glyphosate use is partly driven by the shift to regenerative farming, which avoids ploughing to protect soil health. Helen Metcalfe, an agricultural ecologist at Rothamsted Research, explained: 'To be able to do regenerative farming well you need to apply glyphosate.' However, concerns persist over exposure routes including diet and inhalation, with Bayer facing thousands of lawsuits in the US over its Roundup product.
A UK government spokesperson defended the current regulation, stating: 'Pesticides are only approved for use if the evidence shows that they won't harm human or animal health, and won't have unacceptable effects on the environment.' The EU banned glyphosate for pre-harvest desiccation in 2023, while France has acknowledged a link between the herbicide and Parkinson's disease.
