Campaigners are calling for action to reduce the UK’s reliance on glyphosate, after its use rose tenfold over the past 30 years and fuelled growing concerns about public health.
The debate over the herbicide has returned to prominence because of the way it is used in agriculture, particularly in wetter and colder regions where farmers have sought ways to help crops dry more evenly before harvest. The practice of spraying wheat with glyphosate shortly before cutting has become a well-established method in some farming systems.
According to the source item, Scottish farmers in the 1980s were among the first to adopt this approach. Faced with damp conditions in the glens, they developed a method of killing the crop a week or two before harvest to speed up drying and make the process more manageable. At the time, glyphosate was seen as a highly effective tool because it killed plant life while sparing animals.
What began as a local response to difficult weather conditions later spread more widely. The practice was taken up in other wetter and colder agricultural regions around the world, where similar problems with crop drying made the herbicide attractive to growers.
The renewed criticism reflects a broader unease about the scale of glyphosate use and the role it now plays in modern farming. Campaigners say the increase over three decades is a warning sign and are pressing for action to break what they describe as the UK’s addiction to the herbicide.
Glyphosate has long been one of the most widely used herbicides in agriculture, valued for its broad-spectrum action and practical benefits in field management. But its continuing use has also made it a focus for environmental and health concerns, particularly when applied as part of pre-harvest treatment.
The source item does not provide details of any specific policy proposals or responses from government or industry, but it makes clear that concern is growing over both the extent of glyphosate use and the farming practices that depend on it.
For campaigners, the issue is not only the herbicide itself, but the wider reliance it represents. With use having increased so sharply over 30 years, they are arguing that the UK should rethink the role of glyphosate in agriculture and take steps to reduce dependence on it.
The debate is likely to remain contested. Farmers in challenging climates continue to see practical benefits in pre-harvest spraying, while critics are focusing on the possible health implications and the long-term consequences of widespread use.
As the issue moves back into the spotlight, the pressure is on for a response that balances agricultural needs with public concern over the herbicide’s place in the food system.
