Restrictions on glyphosate use leave everyone unhappy

A few days back, the Centre, for the first time, made some forward movement in controlling the use of controversial herbicide — glyphosate — by proposing to restrict its use only through pest control operators. This, in turn, means that the herbicide — that has been among the most widely used plant chemicals in India — would not be allowed for used by anyone else. Though the draft official order did not mention it explicitly, many experts believe that it is intended to curb the rampant use of glyphosate among farmers. Glyphosate has been found to be “probably carcinogenic” by a study done by the World Health Organization’s (WHO'S) research wing.

To implement the proposed order, all certificates of registration for the chemical that companies have for manufacturing or sale have to be returned to the registration committee. Comments against the draft order can be given in 30 days.

Earlier, five states — Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Punjab — have banned glyphosate in the last few years. Also, glyphosate has been banned in several countries worldwide as well. So what is that which makes glyphosate controversial?

Early use

Though glyphosate was introduced sometime around 1970s in the world, in India, its rampant use started a decade later, that is, around the 1980s.

Over the years, the plant chemical has become one of the most widely used herbicides and its formulations are used in both crop and non-crop areas. In crop, it has been majorly used in tea plantations. Glyphosate is also used in non-crop areas to control unwanted growth. These include use in irrigation channels, railway sidings, fallow land, bunds, farm borders, parks, industrial and military premises, airports and power stations, among others. One major reason for the widespread use of glyphosate is its cost effectiveness. Trade sources said that on an average 500 litres of glyphosate or formulations based on it cost around ~250, while most other similar herbicides are much costlier.

Glyphosate and Ht Bt cotton

Though in use for decades, glyphosate usage saw a manifold spike, once Ht Bt cotton started getting illegally cultivated in India. In India, sale and manufacturing of Ht BT cotton is not permitted. However, civil society activists allege that in states such as Maharashtra and parts of Andhra Pradesh, Ht Bt is being grown illegally for the last few years.

In Ht Bt cotton, glyphosate helps in killing the weeds without doing any harm to the plant. Stopping the sale of glyphosate will naturally end the spread of Ht Bt cotton, activists argue.

But, the plant chemical industry as a counter-argument, feels that banning or curbing the use of glyphosate with the hope that it will stop the spread of illegal use of Ht Bt cotton is ‘barking up the wrong tree’.

Carcinogenic

The biggest criticism came when in 2015 the WHO’S International Agency for Research on Cancer published a study that found glyphosate “probably carcinogenic to humans.” Thereafter, several countries across the world went ahead and banned its usage and multiple court cases have been filed in the US against the chemical. Judgment has also been passed for compensation.

Lax end-use monitoring in India

In India, once a plant chemical is sold by a retailer, there is hardly any mechanism to check how and for what purpose it is being used by the buyer who, could often, be a farmer. In such a situation, it is near impossible to ensure whether farmers will employ pest control operators to spray the chemical.

“How can someone ensure that only pest control operators are using glyphosate once it is sold by a retailer,” said Kavitha Kuruganti, of Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture. In urban areas, it is easy to find out whether glyphosate is being used through pest control operators as almost all of the 300 registered operators are located in the city. However, to keep track of them in rural areas after the chemical has moved out of the retailers’ shelf is a herculean task. “Presently, glyphosate is sprayed by farmers themselves, but if it has to be done through registered pest control operators, it will increase the cost manifold,” said an industry executive.

Dissenting voices

Swadeshi Jagran Manch, an arm of the ruling BJP’S ideological parent RSS, has long been voicing against the continuous use of glyphosate. “But, this is not what we have fought for,” said Ashwini Mahajan, National Co-convenor of the Manch. He added the draft order is ‘incomplete’ and does little to stop its sale to the farmers.

Industry isn’t happy

A section of the plant chemical industry has alleged that the draft order was framed to favour few domestic players who have products that are very similar to glyphosate but are not sold domestically as they are costlier than glyphosate.

Kalyan Goswami, director general of Agro-chemicals Federation of India (ACFI), feels that the draft notification has been made hurriedly for no scientific reason, adding that small farmers would face a tough time due to the draft order.