MORE herbicides contain glyphosate, a weedkilling chemical, than any other agent. Monsanto, an agricultural giant, first sold Roundup, a product containing the stuff, to farmers in the 1970s. Since then use of glyphosate-based concoctions has increased about 100-fold; gardeners as well as farmers have taken to it for killing weeds and keeping paths clear. The firm’s last patent on it expired in 2000, and farmers from Brazil to Russia spray it as never before. But as larger quantities are used, concerns grow over the harm some say it may cause. On March 7th a European Union (EU) committee will vote on whether to renew approval of glyphosate for the next 15 years.
Farmers value glyphosate for reasons that have changed since it first appeared. Once a kill-all for unwanted weeds, it was transformed in 1996 when Monsanto developed genetically engineered crops able to withstand it. In 2014 selling Roundup and modified seeds earned the company $ 5 billion in America alone. It is also useful in drying crops before harvests. Estimates suggest that two-thirds of all the glyphosate ever sprayed in America has been applied in the past ten years.
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