The glyphosate debate
By 
Bárbara Pinho2025-03-17T10:25:00
The EU has recently approved the use of glyphosate for another decade. Bárbara Pinho examines the controversial pesticide’s presence in British farming and considers the possibility of a ban in the UK
Glyphosate began as a failed experiment. In 1950, Swiss chemist Henri Martin first synthesised it in an attempt to develop new pharmaceuticals, but the compound showed little promise. Fast forward 75 years, and glyphosate has become one of the most widely used pesticides in the world. More of it has been applied than any other agricultural chemical, with billions of kilograms sprayed since 1974 to grow almost everything, from wheat to oranges.
Now glyphosate is at the centre of an intense debate over its impact on human health and the environment. On one side, activists and NGOs advocate for stricter regulations and, ultimately, a complete ban. On the other, most farmers argue that growing food without it would be impossible.