ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER INDUSTRY NEWS 16 “You could make scenarios where yes, losing glyphosate would cause food security issues or affect supply, and people would say, ‘Well, there are alternatives’,” says Tardif, professor of weed science at the University of Guelph. “The consequences of those alternatives are that you may get more active ingredients instead of glyphosate in the system, and you may get less effective weed control or less yield, which may have an impact on price. And that’s been modelled elsewhere in the world.” Studies in Europe and Australia have examined the impact of banning glyphosate. Work in horticulture crops, orchards, and field crops has found that weeds could be controlled without glyphosate, but the cost of food would increase, and it might mean more applications required with more herbicide actives being mixed. NOT ONE AND DONE The current state of the situation is a huge concern for everyone in agriculture, including producers, retailers, agronomists, researchers, and manufacturers. As Pierre Petelle notes, glyphosate is one of the most studied products in the world, and there isn’t a single regulator, including anywhere in Europe, that has deemed glyphosate as carcinogenic when used according to label instructions. But it is not as though activists and their legal representatives will be content with banning glyphosate; it’s the first on their list, not the last. “Glyphosate has been their holy grail for many years, just because of how widespread and how significant it is, globally,” says Petelle, president and CEO with CropLife Canada. “But make no mistake: the activist groups’ short form is ‘pesticides’, not ‘glyphosate’ or ‘2,4-D’. They use ‘pesticides’, which encompasses all of the products as their target. This is not one product, and we can move on with other alternatives.” Petelle points to what has happened in Europe, where pesticide approvals are much more political, where member states appease activists, and the activists only demand more and more. “Canada is a small market—between three and four per cent of the global pesticide market,” he adds. “But I think our reputation is significant and it’s important that we make sure our decisionmaking stays science-based, that it doesn’t get politically motivated or change with whoever’s in power, so Canada’s influence can be exerted a bit, globally.” • continued from page 15 visit us online: alpinepfl.com or call: 1-844.655.BIOK (2465) Scan For More Information! The advantages of using ALPINE foliar applied liquid fertilizer with a base fertility program are: • Correct nutrient deficiencies as determined from soil or tissue tests • Strengthen damaged crops • Speed growth • Stimulate root uptake • Provide nutrient efficiency For a full list of products, visit alpinepfl.com Half-fed crops means half-filled bins. Foliar makes the difference!
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