In the 1980s, Scottish farmers pioneered the use of glyphosate sprays before wheat harvesting. Because the damp valleys make it difficult to dry the crops evenly, they developed a method of killing weeds one to two weeks before harvesting to speed up the drying process.
Glyphosate was a revolutionary herbicide for its time; it killed all plants without harming animals, making it ideal for this task. This practice soon spread to wetter, colder agricultural regions around the world.
Forty years later, thousands of tons of glyphosate are still used annually on farmland, municipal green spaces, and home gardens in the UK. However, the safety of this herbicide is highly controversial, and with its license set to expire in December, there are calls for a ban or strict restrictions on its use.
An analysis of government data shows that farmers sprayed more than 2,200 tonnes of glyphosate in 2024, with more than half of that amount used on wheat and other grain crops.
Data show that the use of this chemical has increased tenfold over the past thirty years, and its consumption remains high even after the World Health Organization classified it as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” in 2015. Bayer insists its herbicide does not cause cancer.
”The UK’s reliance on glyphosate is out of control,” said Nick Mole of Pesticide Action Network UK, which conducted the analysis. “We know glyphosate is linked to various cancers and other life-threatening diseases. It also harms the environment, pollutes water supplies, and harms wildlife.”
”The government urgently needs to commit to phasing out and eventually banning the use of glyphosate, and supporting farmers and local councils to implement safe and sustainable alternatives.”
Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum herbicide, meaning it can kill all weeds, including grasses and broadleaf weeds. This makes it a powerful weapon for farmers. However, glyphosate use in the UK differs significantly from that in the US. In the US, genetically modified crops, due to their resistance to glyphosate, are sprayed liberally with glyphosate during the growing season.
”In the UK, glyphosate is mainly applied before planting crops to kill any weeds growing in the field,” said Helen Metcalfe, an agricultural ecologist at the Harpenden Rotherhamstead Institute in Hertfordshire.
Metcalf stated that the shift to less destructive “regenerative” farming is a key reason for the increased use of glyphosate. Another approach involves tilling the land to remove weeds, but this also damages the soil, “which is exactly what farmers are trying to protect,” she said. “They’re trying to protect the soil, prevent water and soil erosion, increase soil carbon, and so on. Successful regenerative farming requires the use of glyphosate.”
However, the use of synthetic chemicals is not without risks. In the United States, Bayer offered $7.25 billion (£5.4 billion) to settle thousands of lawsuits alleging it failed to warn consumers that its glyphosate-containing herbicide Roundup could cause cancer. In France, the government acknowledged the link between Parkinson’s disease and glyphosate and compensated farmers.
”Basically, as with most things, the more you’re exposed, the more of a concern,” says Wayne Carter, an associate professor at the University of Nottingham who studies the biological effects of pesticides. “Overexposure can be toxic, so you can get pesticides through food or inhalation; but you also need to be careful not to spray pesticides indiscriminately in your garden.”
In 2023, the EU banned the use of glyphosate in pre-crop drying, reflecting concerns about glyphosate accumulation in food products.
A UK government spokesman insisted glyphosate’s use was strictly regulated, adding: “Its use will only be approved if there is evidence that the pesticide will not cause harm to human or animal health or have unacceptable impacts on the environment.”
Post time: Apr-13-2026