In Argentina, the use of glyphosate increased 1,000 percent between 1994 and 2010, as soybean farmers fought off resistant weeds, says the BBC. With large amounts of the herbicide still being applied to fields, some experts think that it may be responsible for a surge in health problems among rural residents.
A study of 80,000 people in 25 Argentinean pampas (rural communities) led by Dr. Damián Verzeñassi, at the University of Rosario, found that 40 percent of residents in these areas suffer from respiratory illnesses.
“We have more respiratory problems in the countryside than in the city,” Verzeñassi said, adding that skin rashes, especially on children, and cancer rates also are much higher in the pampas. “And we used to think that if you lived in the countryside you breathed and lived more healthily.”
Between 75 percent and 95 percent of the study’s participants live within 1,000 meters of herbicide-sprayed fields. While not conclusive evidence that the herbicide is to blame, to Verzeñassi it suggests a strong possibility that the chemicals are responsible for the health issues.
The Argentine Federation of Medical Professionals has called for an outright ban of the herbicide, but others in the country argue that the research on glyphosate is inconclusive. In March 2015, the WHO cancer agency classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic” to humans, setting off global controversy about the chemical. Then, earlier this year, a report by WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization said glyphosate “is unlikely to pose a carcinogenic risk to humans from exposure through the diet.”
Argentina is the world’s largest exporter of soy, and at least some officials are reluctant to slow production over safety concerns. “There is not one single case [of illness] that can be scientifically proven to be related to glyphosate,” said Argentinean congressman Eduardo Amadeo. “Thanks to herbicides like glyphosate, agricultural productivity in the world has tripled. Without them the world would suffer hunger.”
Glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide in the world, is the main ingredient in Roundup, sold by Monsanto. Use of glyphosate soared after Monsanto genetically engineered crops to tolerate spraying with the herbicide.