Fuss about glyphosate: a majority in the House wants to ban the pesticide as soon as possible, but Minister Schouten of Agriculture is not in any hurry to do so. Today the issue was again debated.
Glyphosate is the agent that is used in pesticides, including in the well-known RoundUp. It is a means of controlling weeds, but farmers also use it, for example, to make greenery disappear on their fields. Then you don’t have to plow them. You can recognize this by the so-called ‘yellow fields’.
Glyphosate
There is much discussion about the danger of glyphosate. For example, it would be carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting. “There are already indications that these kinds of toxins lead to Parkinson’s disease. In France this has also been recognized as an occupational disease among farmers,” says D66 Member of Parliament Tjeerd de Groot. He wants glyphosate to be banned as soon as possible. “Farmers and local residents will also benefit from using less of these types of resources,” he says.
The Health Council agrees with this. They concluded last June that the Netherlands should phase out pesticides in agriculture and horticulture. The House of Representatives has been trying to tackle glyphosate with motions since 2018, but Minister Carola Schouten has so far taken few concrete steps to ban the drug. Schouten is in favor of phasing out, but wants to do it carefully: “You have to substantiate why something is suddenly no longer allowed.”
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‘The Netherlands is the dirtiest boy in class’
With that remark, the minister refers to a European agreement to allow glyphosate until 2022. She fears that if she imposes a total ban, farmers could file lawsuits.
The House of Representatives does not agree with this. “The Netherlands always pretends to be the best boy in class, but we are actually the dirtiest boy in class,” says De Groot.
‘It’s just unwillingness’
Member of Parliament of GroenLinks Laura Bromet also argues for a ban on glyphosate. She is irritated by the attitude of Minister Schouten. “If she really wanted to, she would,” she says. “It’s just unwillingness.”
She is furious that the minister has still not done anything about the drug. “We have been trying to get this banned in small steps for 10 years. First at municipalities, then at Staatsbosbeheer. And if it would be difficult with this poison, how should it be with other poisons? That will take hundreds of years in this way. “
Don’t talk about individual resources
CDA member Maurits von Martels disagrees. He believes that politicians should not decide on these types of individual resources at all.
“Then a whole series of resources are reviewed and as politicians we have to look at what is and what is not possible, agent by agent. “
Legal advice
Last week a legal advice from Wageningen University was published, which was drawn up at the request of the Lower House. According to D66, this shows that a greater restriction of the use of glyphosate is indeed possible.
Minister Schouten has promised this afternoon that she will study this and will respond shortly.
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