MEXICO CITY – Mexico’s top science agency has reduced its recommendation for maximum glyphosate exports by half. This is in response to farmers urging them to take steps towards achieving the government goal of completely eliminating the herbicide entirely by 2024.
CONACYT, Mexico’s National Council of Science and Technology recommended a maximum import quota of 826 million kilogrammes (kg), for formulated glyphosate and 628,616kg for technical glyphosate. These amounts are less than the amount it recommended last year.
CONACYT released a statement stating that this action “moves forward the process to gradually eradicate glyphosate which will culminate in 2024, with its total ban,” and noting that other options exist for weed management.
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President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador issued a 2020 executive order to eliminate Glyphosate and GMO Corn by 2024. This was in support of food safety and environmental activists.
Mexico’s top farm lobby CNA opposed the plan. They argued that neither GMO corn nor glyphosate are harmful to human health and that decreasing their use could impact farm production.
CNA responded to a question about the CONACYT recommendation on glyphosate. It stated that the science agency had given “distorted opinions” that did not protect human health or allow for the development of the agricultural sector.
CNA stated in a statement that the herbicide is safe when used correctly and within the existing regulations.
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Reporting by Adriana Barera; Editing done by Daina Beth Solomon, Kenneth Maxwell
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