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Glyphosate

Glyphosate, also known by the brand name Roundup, is a widely used herbicide. It’s approval for use in the UK is due for renewal in December 2026.

There have been concerns that glyphosate can harm humans, for example, when residues of it remain on food crops, and that it could cause damage to the environment. The EU placed further restrictions on the use of glyphosate in 2023. O, international reviews have so far concluded there is no critical concern for human health or the environment. Research on the health and environmental impact of glyphosate use is ongoing.

What is glyphosate?

Glyphosate is the active ingredient found in many weedkillers.

It is a non-selective, broad-spectrum herbicide, which means that it kills most plants that it comes into contact with. It was discovered and developed by the US company Monsanto in the 1970s and is also known by its brand name Roundup.

Glyphosate is widely used by gardeners and farmers as a weedkiller. It is used to control weeds on farmland and in public spaces, including parks, playgrounds and sports fields. When it is sprayed on plants, it is absorbed by the leaves and transported to the roots, killing the plant within 4 to 15 days.

Use in farming

Glyphosate is used in arable farming to manage weeds before planting and during crop growth, and as a pre-harvest.

A move towards no till or minimal till farming has resulted in an increase in the use of herbicides, including glyphosate, before sowing. Reduced tilling saves fuel costs and improves soil structure, but since one of the benefits of tilling is that it helps control weeds, farmers may need to use alternatives such as glyphosate.

Glyphosate is also commonly used in the UK as a crop desiccant, to ensure crops ripen evenly before harvest. This makes harvesting easier and the crop quality more consistent, but can leave glyphosate residue on crops, including food crops like wheat, barley and oats. The EU banned use of glyphosate as a desiccant in 2023, and the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) highlights that

The National Farmers Union (NFU) says that glyphosate is an essential tool for farmers, “used on cereals to make harvesting easier, to control weeds, and reduce disease, and help produce sustainable and affordable food for all”.

In April 2026, Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK, which works to eliminate the use of hazardous pesticides) published an analysis of UK data showing that that glyphosate use in farming has increased 1,000% since 1990. In 2024, more than 2,200 tonnes of glyphosate were used to treat UK crops. Campaigners, such as the Soil Association, have said that it is the increased use of glyphosate as a crop desiccant that has led to glyphosate residues commonly being found in foods.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (ADHB), a statutory farming advisory body, has said that “glyphosate residues are occasionally found in samples” and although usually below the maximum levels allowed “they require careful management”.

A further concern is that as use of glyphosate has grown, so has the risk of resistance to its effects. In February 2025, the first glyphosate resistant weeds were reported in the UK and in April 2025, glyphosate-resistant weeds were identified in Ireland. Resistance had already been reported in Europe before this.

Use in green spaces and gardens

Glyphosate is used a weedkiller by many local authorities, and it is sold as a general herbicide for gardeners.

Some local authorities, such as East Devon District Council, have banned the use of glyphosate and explored using other products, such as vinegar, as weedkillers. Cambridge City Council has implemented a herbicide-free weed management strategy, although there have been some concerns about the effectiveness of alternative methods.

However, glyphosate is still used extensively elsewhere in the UK. In a survey by PAN UK, 92% of UK local authorities reported using glyphosate in 2024 in green spaces, including parks, cemeteries and road verges, and they reported using at least 354 tonnes of herbicides overall.

The government has been asked if it intends to further regulate the use of glyphosate by local authorities and other public bodies, but it has not said it will do so.

The Royal Horticultural Society does not support the use of weedkillers in gardens, stating that “most weeds can be managed successfully without weedkillers, using methods that support biodiversity”.

How harmful is glyphosate?

Human health effects

Academics, consumers and charities have raised concerns about the potential human health effects of pesticide exposure. Someone could be exposed to pesticides in the workplace, at home, or via contaminated food and other products.

The evidence on how glyphosate may affect human health is mixed and difficult to interpret. It includes evidence from animal and laboratory experiments, as well as observational epidemiological research on human exposures.

In 2015, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that glyphosate is genotoxic (causes genetic mutations) and is likely to be carcinogenic (causes cancer) in humans. However, subsequent evaluations undertaken elsewhere have reached different conclusions.

In 2017, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded that In 2022, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Committee for Risk Assessment published its own assessment of glyphosate. It confirmed that glyphosate can cause serious eye damage and is toxic to aquatic life but concluded that the existing scientific evidence did not justify classifying glyphosate as a carcinogen. In 2023, an assessment by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) concluded that there were no ‘critical areas of concern’ for glyphosate use, but the agency noted that there was insufficient data about glyphosate’s safety in some areas, including the risk of consuming glyphosate residues in food.

Research findings from the international Global Glyphosate Study have shown that long-term exposure to glyphosate in line with current regulatory exposure limits can cause leukaemia in rats. Findings from studies of animals do not necessarily mean that glyphosate would have the same effect on humans, but this research prompted the European Commission to ask the ECHA and EFSA to re-evaluate the carcinogenic effects of glyphosate. In September 2026, it was reported that ECHA had not changed its conclusion after further consideration and that the available research evidence does not support the conclusion that glyphosate can cause cancer in humans.

The US EPA is also currently updating its human health risk assessment for glyphosate.

In the US, the chemical company Bayer (of which Monsanto is a subsidiary) has proposed a USD $7.25 billion settlement to resolve claims that the weedkiller Roundup is linked to cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but .

Glyphosate in the environment

Glyphosate has generally been considered a useful and safe weed control product because it was believed:

• It binds strongly to soil, meaning it quickly becomes unavailable and therefore harmless to non-target organisms.
• It has a relatively short half-life, meaning it breaks down quickly in the environment.

However, research has shown that although glyphosate does break down relatively quickly in the environment, one of the resulting chemicals, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), may be more persistent and could potentially be harmful to wildlife and ecosystems. Both glyphosate and AMPA have been found in environmental water and soil samples. How long they persist in the environment is depends on conditions, such as soil type and temperature.

A UN Environment Science Division Foresight brief published in 2018, Alternatives for the use of glyphosate, highlighted findings that AMPA is widely found in soils, surface water and groundwater, and can have toxic effects on algae, plants, fish, invertebrates and mammals. It also summarised research that found glyphosate had negative effects on soil bacteria, soil mycorrhiza and earthworms.

The US EPA conclusion on its website is that the published literature on the effects of glyphosate on soil and microbial communities is mixed. This is because “results vary with soil type, microbial community, application rate, and environmental conditions”. It says that because glyphosate does not persist in soil, it doesn’t expect long-term effects on microbial communities.

EFSA’s 2023 review concluded that there were no critical areas of concern for the impacts of glyphosate on the health of humans, animals and the environment, but it did find gaps in the data. It concluded there was low chronic risk to earthworms and other soil fauna from glyphosate and AMPA, and that their risk to soil microorganisms was low from representative uses. However, it found a high long-term risk to mammals for 12 of the 23 proposed uses for glyphosate. It said it could not exclude the possibility that glyphosate has an adverse effect on overall biodiversity:

On the basis of the information provided, the experts agreed that a conclusion cannot be reached to exclude possible negative impacts on non-target species, habitats and ecosystems due to indirect effects via trophic [food web] interactions for all the representative uses of glyphosate, including uses where less than 50% of the surface is treated (i.e. band and spot applications) and railway uses.

How is glyphosate regulated in the UK?

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Chemicals Regulation Division regulates herbicides and other pesticides, known as plant protection products (PPPs), in the UK. The HSE is responsible for evaluating and authorising PPPs to allow them to be placed on the market and ensuring they are used in line with regulatory requirements.

Before a PPP can be sold in Great Britain, it must undergo two approval processes:

• HSE must approve the active substance, the ingredient in a pesticide that makes it work.
• HSE must approve individual products, which are authorised for specific uses and under specific conditions, as set out in their product label. Approved products are listed in the Pesticides Register of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

In Northern Ireland, EU authorisations continue to apply.

Glyphosate is approved for use as a herbicide in the UK.

HSE’s statutory Code of Practice for Using Plant Protection Products sets out the rules for the use of pesticides, including glyphosate. For example, professional users, like farmers, must hold a recognised training certificate and there are specific rules for handling, storing and disposing of PPPs safely.

The HSE also sets maximum residue limits (MRL) for pesticides that are allowed to be left in or on food. They are set at the lowest level consistent with the proper use of a pesticide, in line with good agricultural practices. For most animal food products, the MRL for glyphosate is set at 0.05 mg/kg, and for most fruit and vegetables, the MRL is 0.1 mg/kg. Some foods have higher MRLs, including oats and soyabeans (both 20 mg/kg) reflecting the fact that glyphosate is often used on these crops closer to harvest time as desiccant.

PAN UK has highlighted that MRLs for a number of pesticides have been increased in Great Britain since Brexit. This includes the MRL for glyphosate on beans, which was increased from 2 mg/kg to 15 mg/kg in 2022. The higher MRL is in line with international Codex Alimentarius standards, which are developed and agreed by the World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Glyphosate approval renewal for the UK

Pesticide authorisations must be regularly renewed and the current approval for glyphosate in GB will expire on 15 December 2026. HSE is currently considering the renewal of glyphosate; the Glyphosate Renewal Group, a group of companies, is the primary applicant for the renewal of glyphosate approval.

The government says that HSE is considering a further extension to the deadline to allow more time for the renewal process.

HSE says that its renewal decision will be informed by its review of scientific, technical and regulatory knowledge and by its critical consideration of the EU’s decision to renew the approval of glyphosate (but to ban some uses) in 2023.

The proposed UK–EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement would involve the UK aligning with new EU rules on plant protection products, including pesticides like glyphosate (see below).

UK Pesticide National Action Plan

The UK Government and devolved executives together published a UK Pesticides National Action Plan in October 2025. The plan does not include any proposals for regulatory change but sets out three main objectives to manage and reduce the risks of pesticide use across the UK. The government says it will:

• Encourage farmers, growers, foresters and amenity managers to adopt an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to ensure that the use of chemical pesticides is “ecologically and economically justified” and minimises risks to human health and the environment. IPM involves focusing on approaches such as crop rotations, tillage and encouraging natural predators. Funding to support farmers in this approach in England is available through the Sustainable Farming Incentive.
• Monitor the use of pesticides and set a target to reduce UK pesticide load indicator (PLI) measures by at least 10% by 2030, compared with a 2018 baseline. The PLI is a new indicator which includes 20 measures of pesticide use and harm in the agricultural arable sector. The measures consider both how pesticides behave in the environment and harms caused to specific species.
• Improve compliance with existing regulations, to ensure that pesticide distributors and professional users ensure that they do not endanger human health or the environment.

How is glyphosate regulated in the EU?

Glyphosate’s approval in the EU (and Northern Ireland) was renewed for 10 years in December 2023.

The decision to renew the approval was taken by the European Commission after member states were unable to reach a qualified majority to approve or reject the approval. The European Commission decision was based on the most recent ECHA and EFSA reports, which it said did not provide a scientific or legal justification for a ban on glyphosate. The commission has explained it chose a ten-year renewal period, rather than the usual 15 years, because research on glyphosate is ongoing; a new renewal application will need to be submitted after seven years to keep glyphosate on the market in the EU.

The EU renewal introduced new restrictions on the use glyphosate in the EU, including:

• banning the use of glyphosate as a pre-harvest desiccant; the EU has clarified that this use can no longer be authorised by individual member states
• setting maximum application rates
• requiring EU member states to consider and mitigate the risks of glyphosate to small herbivorous animals and non-target plants
• requiring manufacturers seeking approval for glyphosate products to submit information on potential harms to biodiversity.

SPS agreement and alignment with EU

In June 2026, the UK government published guidance for businesses on the forthcoming sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement with the EU. This explained that the UK and the EU have diverged in their approach to plant protection products (PPP) since Brexit.

The government has said that there will be important changes to how PPP can be marketed and used in Great Britain, and how they are regulated, as the UK works to align SPS rules with EU standards under this agreement. However, the guidance says the government aims to make specific arrangements for the most challenging changes.

The SPS agreement is due to be finalised and signed in late 2026. In July 2026, the government said that its intent is that the agreement should take effect in mid-2027. It has also said in guidance for food producers that “for pesticides, this means that in Great Britain active substances and pesticide maximum residue levels (MRLs) will be aligned with the EU”. The final details, including the exact timings of any changes for farmers in Great Britain will not be known until negotiations are completed, but the government is encouraging those affected to be ready by mid-2027.

What do food producers say?

A January 2025 article in The Grocer drew attention to an industry report commissioned by CropLifeUK, which suggested that aligning with EU pesticide rules could reduce farming business income by 10% and that adversely affect food production.

The Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) told the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) that “approximately 39 active PPP substances available in GB that are not authorised in the EU while around 68 substances are available in the EU but not GB”. In its report in February 2026 the EFRA Committee suggested that EU pesticide rules may not be appropriate for UK growing conditions and climate, and "should not be forced upon producers in the UK". The committee called on the government to seek assurances that scientific evidence from Great Britain should be incorporated into decisions affecting UK agriculture.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has acknowledged potential benefits of alignment with the EU, including increased access to new biopesticides not yet available in Great Britain, free movement of seeds treated with pesticides and parallel trade of pesticide products. However, it has also highlighted risks for farmers, including a list of substances used to protect crops that may be banned. The NFU has called for “reasonable use-up periods” for farmers to use pesticides that they have already purchased or used under current regulations.

The Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) supports the EU’s ban on the use glyphosate as a desiccant but has called for at least a year for farmers to transition, to allow them to “adapt practices, explore and invest in alternatives”.

Further reading

POST, Pesticides and health, September 2021

Commons Library, Agricultural funding for farmers, growers and land managers in England, October 2026

Defra, Guidance for Food production, plants, animals and associated sectors: preparing your business, updated July 2026