Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
banned the import of glyphosate on Wednesday after a series of legal defeats
for Bayer in U.S. civil lawsuits alleging the weed killer caused cancer.
Vietnam Director of Plant Protection Hoang Trung said during
a news conference on Wednesday the action was taken because glyphosate affects
the environment and is harmful to human health.
At the end of March, a California jury awarded $80 million
to a man with non-Hodgkin lymphoma who had used glyphosate at an animal refuge
for nearly 30 years. Last year, another jury in the state awarded $287 million
to a groundskeeper with cancer who used the chemical. In all, there are 11,200
lawsuits aimed at glyphosate.
Charla Lord, media communications, corporate engagement and
preparedness for Bayer, said Vietnam’s decision is likely to hurt both farmers
and consumers.
“Unfortunately,
today’s decision banning glyphosate will not help to improve food security,
safety or sustainability in the country,” she said. “Importantly, Bayer is not
aware of any new scientific assessment undertaken by the government of Vietnam
on which the decision is based. Reportedly, it was driven by developments in
litigation taking place in the United States.
“This litigation does
not change the overwhelming weight of over four decades of extensive science
and the conclusions of regulators worldwide that support the safety of
glyphosate-based herbicide products.”
Lord said EPA, the European Food Safety Authority, as well
as regulatory agencies in Canada, Japan, Australia, Korea, Brazil and other
countries, “routinely review all approved pesticide products and have
consistently reaffirmed” that glyphosate is not carcinogenic.
“We have seen the
unfortunate impact of denying farmers access to such an essential tool,” she
said.
Sri Lanka, for example, imposed a glyphosate ban in 2015.
The ban was reversed in 2018 after local farmers became vocal about the
economic effects to their businesses.
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