It’s not surprising that the number of people living in the world is increasing. By 2050, we’re expected to have reached 9.7 billion people in the world–over 2 billion more than today.1 Unfortunately, the amount of land available for agriculture isn’t expanding with our population. This presents serious challenges to farmers responsible to produce enough high-quality food for Canadians as well as other people all over the world.
Canada is currently the 5th largest exporter of food, globally.2 As the population increases, Canadian farmers in particular will play a crucial role in providing the world with the food it requires. They will be required to supply more food than ever before.
グリホサート To meet growing demand, farmers will need to grow 70 per cent more food in 2050. *Source The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, How to provide food for the world by 2050
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations , How to feed the world by 2050
Farmers cannot face this increasing demand on their own. The latest tools and technologies such as herbicides such as Glyphosate, allow farmers to tackle weeds effectively and precisely, resulting in an improved sustainable, safe supply of food.
What is glyphosate and how does it work?
Glyphosate is an effective herbicide that has been utilized by gardeners, land managers farmers, and other people around the globe for 40+ years. It works by inhibiting an enzyme which plants–in this case, unwanted weeds–need to develop. https://agrifact.dga.jp/faq_detail.html?id=108 These enzymes aren’t present in humans or animals.4 Therefore glyphosate poses little risk for or for animals.
Glyphosate is used in many different ways that go beyond agriculture. Municipalities utilize the chemical in their urban green areas to protect the wildlife and public from poisonous weeds.6 It is also utilized for railways to ensure the visibility of train conductors and to prevent fires from forming on the tracks.7
Glyphosate and its use have been the subject of increased attention in recent years. While it’s crucial for us to ask questions about what we eat, it’s worth noting that more than 160 international regulatory agencies (including Health Canada) agree that glyphosate is safe used when it is done properly.
Helping Canadians to understand the meaning of glyphosate and the way it is used and the vital role it plays in food production as well as sustainable agricultural practices, can help alleviate concerns about this one of the methods farmers employ to ensure that we have accessible, safe and affordable food to eat.
Glyphosate: Why is it used in the field of agriculture?
Glyphosate-based herbicides can benefit farmers, consumers, and the environment. It is crucial for efficient herbicides, sustainable food supply, as well as environmental sustainability. Let’s take a look at the benefits of each in more in depth.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization the losses could rise to as high as two times if they’re not properly protected. It’s a tragic loss particularly for farmers, especially when you consider that those crops are their main source of income.
グリホサート 英語 So, it’s no wonder farmers have come to rely on the tools they rely on year after year. The application of glyphosate to fields that have glyphosate-tolerant crops is a proven method of keeping harmful weeds away from the crop.
Crops and Weeds the fight for their lives
Glyphosate is a herbicide which gives crops a fighting chance.
Benefits to Canadians and all consumers around the world: abundant, affordable food
This is increasing food insecurity. Canadians could pay 55% more for food, if they do not have modern agricultural technologies like Glyphosate.
This could make it more difficult for us to find the foods we love. The science of plant breeding will enable farmers to grow our favorite staple foods for many more years.
グリホサート Glyphosate can help to manage the growth of weeds as well as maintain the quality of produce in the supermarket. Glyphosate also serves to assist farmers to take care of their most valuable asset which Cherilyn Jolly Nagle from Mossbank, Saskatchewan, says is their land.
Keeping foods we love on the table
Farmers can prosper when they use crop protection tools like glyphosate, to guard crops from pests and disease.
42% More grains, like corn or wheat
72% more fruits
83 percent more potatoes and other vegetables12
The benefits are clear. But is it safe to use glyphosate?
Simply simply put it, yes. As with all pesticides, you must follow the directions on the label. Canada has two regulatory agencies for glyphosate. グリホサート The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which inspects crops to see if there is any pesticide residue. The other is the Pest Management Regulating Agency (PMRA) is the one that gives the regulations for product evaluations, approvals, and other guidelines (or refusals) and also has one of the largest evaluation procedures across the globe.
Regulators make sure that farmers are using approved herbicides in a safe and responsible method. But, it’s up to farmers and manufacturers to ensure that there are no negative effects for the animals, the environment and even humans.
Additionally, with the advancements in technology and the application of precision farming, farmers have the ability to make use of data to be even more precise when it comes to the application of glyphosate in terms of where it’s applied and how much is applied.150
It is extremely rare that glyphosate is found in foods. It is rare for glyphosate to be detected in food items.
Glyphosate is a component of sustainable agriculture practices
Glyphosate is a staple ingredient used by farmers in conjunction with integrated pest and weed management practices. This means they use more than herbicides to control weeds. Glyphosate has allowed them to adopt conservation tillage / no-till methods that offer long-term benefits for the soil, air, and our environment as a whole which include:
– To cut down or eliminate plowing or tilling of land
Reduction in CO2 emissions
– Capturing carbon within the soil
– Improving soil’s health
– Reducing water runoff and limiting erosion13
“No pesticide regulatory authority in the whole world currently believes that glyphosate is a danger to human health at the present levels.” — Health Canada (January 11, 2019).
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations How to feed the world by 2050
It is more crucial than ever to ensure Canadian farmers are equipped with the technological and tools they need to provide for a growing number of people.
Good agricultural, food safety, and pest management practices will ensure that farmers are able to continue protecting our food supply. And glyphosate is just one of many tools they will use to ensure Canadians and others around the world can access nutritious and affordable food–now and for the years to come.