Land required to be set aside for wildlife in exchange for permit to use glyphosate

Setting aside 10% of farmland in exchange for being allowed to use toxic glyphosate seems a "band-aid" measure, in line with the "sustainable intensification" notion promoted by agrochemical industry.

"Sustainable intensification" holds that if you maximise chemically-based intensification on available farmland, this allows you to preserve other land for wildlife.

The genuinely sustainable way, however, is to farm without toxics, enabling wildlife to thrive alongside crops and livestock.
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Germany sets new restrictions on glyphosate

DW, 6 Nov 2018
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-sets-new-restrictions-on-glyphosate/a-46172338

* The Environment Ministry has announced a spate of new regulations on the use of herbicides and pesticides. The tougher policy aims for a staged exit from the use of weed killer glyphosate and similar products

Use of glyphosate and similar herbicides in Germany will face tougher restrictions going forward, the Environment Ministry announced on Tuesday.

From 2020, farmers will be required to set aside 10 percent of their farmland to protect biological diversity if they want to use glyphosate and similar herbicides, the ministry said.

Environment Minister Svenja Schulze said in Berlin that her ministry would also change the approval process for pesticides and herbicides that impact the environment.

"If other, perhaps even more damaging, pesticides are used instead of glyphosate, the environment won't be any better off so we will demand new nature conservation requirements for the approval process of every pesticide that harms biodiversity," Schulze said.

Germany plans a staged exit from the use of glyphosate and environmentally detrimental herbicides and pesticides.

The national effort comes after the EU last year extended a license to use glyphosate for another five years despite resistance from some member states. After that, it may be phased out or banned.

The Agriculture Ministry had already suggested a ban on using the weed killer in private gardens and parks.

The Environment Ministry plans to further limit where glyphosate can be used, including in ecologically sensitive areas and in water protection zones. In addition, there will be a general rule that the product cannot be used within 20 meters of water.

Debate on the use of glyphosate has been raging for years in Europe, where environmentalists say it damages biodiversity and ecosystems.

It has also been linked to human health problems such as cancer.

cw/rt (AFP, dpa, epd, Reuters)