New Report 'State of Glyohosate Use in India' Released
PAN India submitted its suggestions to the Agriculture Ministry on the draft 'Restriction on use of Glyphosate Order, 2020', demanding ban of glyphosate.
This report reveals the ground reality of glyphosate use in India based on field survey in seven Indian States. This study presents the fact that glyphosate use is happening in India violating the national regulations as well as the International Code of Conduct on Pesticides Management. An order issued by the West Bengal Agriculture Department in 2019, quoting the Secretary of Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Government of India states that glyphosate formulations are ‘registered to be used in Tea Plantation Crop and non plantation area accompanying the Tea crop and any use beyond this is illegal and in violation of the insecticides Act, 1968 and Rules, 1971’. Ironically, this field study has noted at least 20 non-approved uses with 16 of them in food crops. In the light of mounting evidences on the unacceptable health and environmental outcomes of glyphosate, the ground reality of its use in India is seen as an ‘anarchic’ scenario. This would have undesirable impacts on soil health, farm productivity, food safety, agriculture trade, public health, as well as environmental wellbeing in the country. The scenario of glyphosate use thus necessitates the urgent need of eliminating it from India.