Quebec province does not allow the industrial weed killer glyphosate to be sprayed on its forests, but there is no evidence its use in other Canadian jurisdictions causes wildfires. A satellite map spreading on social media with the lack of blazes in Quebec highlighted is only a snapshot of the season and does not accurately depict broader burn trends, experts said.
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The herbicide is sometimes sprayed on Canadian forests to help reclaimed lands recover, “or to reduce competing vegetation to aid the establishment and growth of new forests of a desired composition,” according to the Canadian Institute of Forestry.
A ban on herbicide use in forests was invoked solely in the province of Quebec in 2001, but experts said it is a misstatement to claim continued use in other locations is a source of wildfires.
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“The claim that ‘glyphosate is the main cause of wildfires in Canada this season’ is a clear oversimplification, if not a fallacy,” said Nelson Thiffault, research scientist for the Canadian Forest Service.
