Question Period Note: GLYPHOSATE

On April 28, 2017, Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) published its final re-evaluation decision document for pesticides containing glyphosate, allowing its continued use in Canada (marketed under brand names such as Roundup and Vision). Glyphosate is the most widely used pesticide globally.

Subsequently, eight Notices of Objection (NoO) were filed by stakeholders requesting reconsideration of the glyphosate decision. Following a review of stakeholders’ concerns, the Department confirmed on January 11, 2019, that issues raised in these NoOs were not scientifically supported. Therefore, the Department’s final re-evaluation decision for glyphosate stands.

Media and stakeholder interest remains high, following three court decisions in the United States which awarded large settlements to individuals who claimed their cancer was caused by glyphosate. In Canada, a number of class action lawsuits have been proposed linking non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and exposure to glyphosate. The lawsuits have yet to be certified as class actions.

Some of the information referenced during the US trials and proposed legal action in Canada (known as the “Monsanto Papers”) raised concerns around the independence of some science reviews with respect to glyphosate. These concerns were addressed by Health Canada through the Notice of Objection (NoO) process, which included a thorough review of information.

• Given the allegations about Monsanto, and the proposed class action lawsuits in Canada, why is glyphosate still approved for use?

• Our Government takes pesticide safety very seriously. Health Canada scientists regularly re-evaluate pesticides approved in Canada to continue to protect human health and the environment.

• We understand that Canadians have concerns about pesticides, and that’s why we conducted an extensive review of this chemical and of the issues raised during the Notice of Objection process.

• Health Canada concluded that glyphosate can be used safely when label directions are followed.

• We believe strongly in evidence-based decision-making, and all decisions about pesticides are taken using rigorous processes and the best science available.

• We will continue to monitor the situation for new information, and will not hesitate to take action if needed.

IF PRESSED ON HEALTH CANADA’S AWARENESS AND USE OF THE “MONSANTO PAPERS” IN THE REVIEW OF GLYPHOSATE

• Health Canada scientists are aware of concerns raised in the media around the independence of some scientific reviews of glyphosate.

• Health Canada scientists had access to all relevant data and information from federal and provincial governments, international regulatory agencies, published scientific reports and multiple pesticide manufacturers. A total of 1368 peer-reviewed scientific papers were considered in the review.

IF PRESSED ON THE INTERNATIONAL AGENCY FOR RESEARCH ON CANCER (IARC)

• Health Canada took the International Agency for Research on Cancer findings into consideration, but found that the level of exposure of Canadians to glyphosate does not cause any harmful effects, including cancer.

• Health Canada’s finding is consistent with the European Food Safety Authority, the European Chemical Agency, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. None of these pesticide regulatory authorities considers glyphosate to be a cancer risk to humans

IF PRESSED ON GLYPHOSATE FOUND IN FOOD

• Recent testing by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency shows levels found are not a cause for concern for Canadians.

• Health Canada published its Re-evaluation Decision document for glyphosate on April 28, 2017. The evaluation determined that glyphosate is unlikely to be genotoxic or carcinogenic. HC considered the findings of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) that glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic to humans”, but did not alter the decision. It is important to note that the IARC classification is a hazard classification and not a health risk assessment. This means that the level of human exposure, which determines the actual risk, was not taken into account by IARC. Health Canada’s finding is consistent with; European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Chemical Agency (ECHA), the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).

• In May 2017, eight NoOs to the glyphosate decision were filed with HC. On January 11, 2019, HC scientists concluded that the concerns raised by the objectors could not be scientifically supported when considering the entire body of relevant data. Therefore, the final re-evaluation decision for glyphosate did not change. HC published its response to each notice of objection in the Public Registry.

• Following Health Canada’s decision regarding the NoOs in January of 2019, a judicial review was filed by one of the objectors. This review has not been scheduled.

• The European Commission renewed the authorization of glyphosate for five years starting in December 2017. However, Austria, France and Germany have all announced their intention to ban or severely restrict the use of glyphosate in the next few years. These plans are contingent on alternatives to the uses of glyphosate being developed.

• The USEPA will publish a final decision in early 2020.

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