Glyphosate FAQs 

1. Is glyphosate safe for human health?

Glyphosate can be used safely for human health when products are applied as directed and within regulatory limits. Glyphosate is one of the world’s most tested and studied herbicides, with about 2,400 studies across 50 years. Independent government research, such as the Agricultural Health Study funded by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, has looked at real-life exposure of pesticides on farmers for more than 30 years. An analysis of Agricultural Health Study data found no associations between glyphosate use and overall cancer risk, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Prior to its commercial release and periodically since, glyphosate has undergone rigorous regulatory evaluations by the EPA and other regulatory bodies around the world and has consistently met strict standards of safety.  

In November 2023, the EU Commission re-authorized glyphosate for 10 years, following a 32-month process. The re-approval is based on favorable scientific assessments by its health and safety agencies, including the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which “did not identify any critical areas of concern.” The EFSA’s assessment, in which 90 experts appointed by EU member states reviewed a 180,000-page dossier containing 2,400 total studies, was the most comprehensive and transparent assessment of a pesticide that EFSA and the EU Member States had ever carried out.
 

2. Is glyphosate contaminating our food and water?

Glyphosate residues in food and water are kept at levels far below safety thresholds through conservative regulatory limits and monitoring. Regulatory agencies around the world have approved specific uses of glyphosate after concluding that it does not pose an unacceptable risk to the environment when used according to label instructions. 
The environmental fate and safety of glyphosate have been extensively studied. Glyphosate does not bioaccumulate and does not persist in the environment. At environmentally realistic exposure levels, it also is not toxic to wild mammals, birds, fish, aquatic invertebrates, and terrestrial invertebrates, such as earthworms, honeybees, and other pollinators.  
There are many measures in place to make sure food is safe. To protect human health, regulators set conservative maximum residue limits, which are the maximum amount of a pesticide that is allowed to remain in or on a food (including cooked, peeled or otherwise processed foods and animal products like milk). Regulators are intentionally conservative and set residue limits far below levels of toxicity – with the official safety limit set at least 100x lower than the dose tested to be safe.
 

3. Is glyphosate causing weed resistance in UK farms?

Glyphosate has contributed to a small number of confirmed weed resistance cases in the UK where it has been used as the sole control method, but resistance risk can be managed. The development of resistance is a process of selection, the basis being the genetic diversity present in any population. Weed resistance is a biological process that continues to evolve. The risks of resistance development can be mitigated by following established Integrated Weed Management principles which combine a range of approaches to control weeds sustainably over the longer term. In general, reliance on a single herbicide can lead to the development of weed resistance. There are also examples of weeds adapting to evade non-chemical means of weed control when used exclusively. The use of glyphosate as a sole means of weed control with few alternative interventions has led to a small number of confirmed cases of weed resistance in one particular species in the UK.
 

4. When is the UK glyphosate licence renewal decision due?

The UK decision on renewing the approval for glyphosate is expected by the end of 2026, following a public consultation starting most probably in summer 2026. The approval for glyphosate as an active substance was due to expire in GB on 15 December 2025, having already been extended by Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD) for 3 years after the UK left the EU.  In March 2025, the CRD announced that the authorisation was extended until 15 December 2026 to allow complete review of the scientific dossier as well as give sufficient time for public consultation as an important part of the regulatory process. A public consultation period is anticipated during summer 2026 ahead of a conclusion to the process by the end of 2026. For more information, visit the Glyphosate Renewal Group website.
 

5. Is glyphosate safe to use in public spaces and playgrounds?

Glyphosate-based products are considered safe for use in public spaces and playgrounds when applied according to label instructions. Today, glyphosate-based products are the most widely used weed control products in the world. Leading health authorities in the United States, Europe, Australia, Korea, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, and elsewhere around the world continue to conclude that glyphosate-based products are safe when used in accordance with the label instructions.

In the UK, glyphosate serves as a vital tool for infrastructure users and local councils, offering economic, environmental, and safety benefits. Its use, when properly applied, helps councils and infrastructure users meet public service demands while ensuring that the surrounding environment is protected. By using glyphosate, local councils can reduce the time and labour costs associated with manual weed removal or alternative chemical treatments. This efficiency allows councils to allocate resources to other essential public services. It is especially effective in controlling invasive species like Japanese Knotweed that can negatively impact biodiversity and cause environmental harm. In 2021, Cardiff City Council found that glyphosate was the most appropriate tool for weed control meeting criteria on sustainability, cost effectiveness, with low environmental impacts and high customer satisfaction and quality. Other councils also continue to support the use of glyphosate in weed management. In the context of infrastructure management, glyphosate is effective in controlling weeds that can interfere with transportation systems such as railways and roads. It is used to ensure the safety and maintenance of these vital public services.
 

6. What is the scientific consensus on glyphosate safety given conflicting studies?

The prevailing scientific and regulatory consensus is that glyphosate-based products are not carcinogenic and can be used safely as directed. Glyphosate has been subject to rigorous testing and oversight by regulatory authorities. Leading health regulators around the world have repeatedly concluded that glyphosate-based products are not carcinogenic and can be used safely as directed according to label instructions. Multiple regulatory testing data sets exist that are used to support government reviews, alongside thousands of publications in peer-reviewed literature. In addition, glyphosate-based products are registered in more than 100 countries throughout the world. 

Country regulatory agencies as well as the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR), support the safety of glyphosate and glyphosate-based products when used as directed on labels and continue to reaffirm that glyphosate does not cause cancer. Most recently, in November 2023, the EU Commission re-approved glyphosate for 10 years, following the favorable scientific assessments by its health and safety agencies, including the (ECHA) and (EFSA), which “did not identify any critical areas of concern.” The (EPA) and the regulatory authorities in Japan, Australia, Korea, Canada, New Zealand, and elsewhere have also reaffirmed that glyphosate-based products can be used safely as directed.  
 

7. Does glyphosate cause cancer?

Regulatory authorities worldwide have concluded that glyphosate is not carcinogenic to humans when used as directed. For decades, there is overwhelming consensus among the leading health authorities around the world that glyphosate can be used safely. No regulatory authority has found that glyphosate is carcinogenic. This includes the (ECHA), (EFSA), (EPA), and the leading health authorities in Germany, Australia, Korea, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, and elsewhere. In 2023, the EU Commission extended the approval for glyphosate by ten years, based on a scientific dossier of over 180,000 pages - the most extensive ever submitted - which supported the conclusion that glyphosate does not meet criteria for carcinogenic classification.
 

8. What are glyphosate's environmental benefits?

Glyphosate supports environmental benefits by enabling reduced tillage systems that protect soils, microorganisms and lower greenhouse gas emissions and fuel use. By controlling a broad spectrum of weeds and their entire root systems, glyphosate has eliminated or reduced the need for ploughing the soils. These reduced tillage practices allow farmers to plant crop seeds directly into stubble fields, minimal soil disturbance. Such practices are sustainable alternatives that help protect soil from degradation and erosion, and they reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption, including diesel use. 

Several important crops in the UK, including wheat and barley, are predominately managed with these practices in combination with glyphosate. This makes glyphosate a popular tool for many farmers that decide to pursue soil conservation practices. 

 

9. Are there viable alternatives to glyphosate for weed control?

Alternatives to glyphosate exist but typically carry higher environmental footprints and substantially higher costs for farmers. Current alternatives to glyphosate often involve more intensive mechanical cultivation or the use of other herbicides with less favourable environmental profiles, and they generally come with higher environmental and financial costs. A study in the U.S. has found that likely replacements would increase the cost of herbicide inputs by two to two-and-a-half times per hectare. This would raise production costs for farmers and potentially lead to higher food prices for consumers.
 

10. Why has UK glyphosate use increased 1,000% since 1990?

Glyphosate use in the UK has increased mainly because more hectares are treated and farming practices have shifted, not because application rates per hectare have dramatically risen. Glyphosate remains a safe and effective way to manage weeds when used as directed. The use of glyphosate per hectare has remained approximately the same over decades, while the number of hectares treated has increased as a result of several factors. These include the removal from the market of alternative herbicides that were not reapproved following regulatory review, changing farming practice as farmers reduced the amount of cultivation, especially heavy cultivations such as ploughing to better protect soil and use less fuel and the lower cost of glyphosate herbicides following patents expiring in the 2000’s.

All crop protection products, including those containing the active substance glyphosate, are subject to rigorous and exhaustive testing, and must meet strict regulatory controls, including application rates, operator protection, and environmental mitigation measures. Leading health regulators around the world have repeatedly concluded that glyphosate is not carcinogenic, and glyphosate-based products can be used safely.  

For additional information on glyphosate, visit: https://www.bayer.com/en/what-is-glyphosate