3 More European Countries Begin Banning Glyphosate and Monsanto’s Roundup

By Jonathan Schoenfeld

The chemical giant Monsanto has been garnering lots of necessary backlash for their glyphosate products lately. There’s worldwide concern because Monsanto’s glyphosate-containing herbicides are known to cause cancer in animals and have been labeled likely carcinogenic to humans.

Monsanto representatives are feeling the pressure — and even asked the World Health Organization to retract their study which hinted at glyphosate being a human carcinogen.

Two Switzerland-based companies, concerned for public well being, are taking action into their own hands to protect the people and the environment. Swiss supermarket chains, Coop and Migros, decided to remove glyphosate products from being sold due to health risks. The Swiss markets also announced that they are exploring other non-toxic alternatives for weed control.

Coop representatives stated:

Even if the (Swiss) Federal Office for Agriculture (BLW) judges glyphosate can continue to be sold without a health hazard for the population, we decided on Monday, May 18th to no longer sell any glyphosate-based products in Coop supermarkets and Coop Building & Hobby hardware stores.

The Swiss companies acted shortly after France banned the herbicide nationally in retail locations and German retail giant REWE Group acted to remove all glyphosate products for their over 350 stores. Germany, France and Switzerland are just three more countries to join the movement to ban glyphosate worldwide.

Over 30,000 health professionals in Argentina have been advocating for a ban on glyphosate products. Active concern began when they witnessed an increased in cancer rates nationwide that was directly related to the use of glyphosate products in agriculture.

Sri Lanka’s newly elected president, Maithripala Sirisena, enforced a prohibition on the use or sale of glyphosate products after health professions discovered that glyphosate was the main cause for kidney disease in the country. Brazil is considering taking the same actions.

Colombia is also placing a ban on the use of glyphosate herbicides for cultivated crops, which includes cocoa plants used for making cocaine.

Costa Rica is also facing serious heath and environmental issues from the virtually non-regulated pesticides used for growing their pineapples.

It’s becoming apparent around the world that products containing glyphosate are hazards to human and environmental health. Are glyphosate products being used in your neighborhood?

Jonathan Schoenfeld writes for TheAntiMedia.org, where this article first appeared. Tune in! The Anti-Media radio show airs Monday through Friday @ 11pm Eastern/8pm Pacific. Image credit: Mike Mozart. Help us fix our typos: [email protected].