PAN UK is calling for glyphosate not to be reapproved. However, if it is granted a new license then it should be with an accompanying set of restrictions designed to both reduce overall use and limit the impact of glyphosate exposure on human health and the environment.
Analysis of official government data – launched today by PAN UK – reveals that the amount of glyphosate being applied to UK crops has risen from 200 metric tonnes per year in 1990 to more than 2,200 tonnes in 2024. Major increases have been seen on a wide range of crops. For example, more than 66 tonnes of glyphosate were applied to British potatoes in 2024, up from 1.5 tonnes in 1990. During the same time period, the area of UK farmland treated with the toxic herbicide increased tenfold to over 2.6 million hectares in 2024, sixteen times the size of Greater London.
The vast majority of these increases took place within the arable sector, with cereals (wheat, barley, and maize) leading the way.