Viewpoint: Blame activist social media for Europe’s anti-science crusade against glyphosate

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[Editor’s note: Richard Hackett is an Agronomist based in North County Dublin, Ireland.]

[A]ccess to abundant food has led to complacency among consumers about food supply and food security which would rank low on any list of consumer concerns.

Access to chemicals such as glyphosate is one of the factors that drive food abundance.

The glyphosate molecule is one of the most environmentally benign and toxicologically safe molecules that is available to food producers.

Until now, European regulators knew this. They assessed glyphosate rigorously as they do all pesticide molecules.

They determined that provided it is used according to label instructions, glyphosate is a safe molecule.

So what is the problem?

I believe a big factor is the rise of social media and the citizen journalist.

[W]hat is a problem is that our regulators have become transfixed by the noise from social media.

Suddenly science is not important, independent evaluation is not important – instead, because they are so loud, ‘twitterati’ must be right.

Food production and food producers are being thrown under the bus to try and placate this group.

Regulators show no appetite for stoutly defending the science behind their decisions. They are drowned out by the shrill cries of the few who grow progressively louder. 

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Opinion: ‘Twitterati’ are shouting down logic in the glyphosate debate

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