The president of Young Farmers, Arnaud Gaillot, believes that there are “no other solutions” than using glyphosate. He believes that research into an alternative to the controversial pesticide “may take time.”
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“It’s called common sense.”reacted Thursday September 21 on franceinfo Arnaud Gaillot, president of Young Farmers, to the decision of the European Commission to propose to the Twenty-Seven a renewal of glyphosate for 10 years. “I agree that we can ban everything, but then, how do we do it? How do we still produce food tomorrow, how are we able, on farms, to do conservation agriculture?” the young farmer asked.
>> Glyphosate: a pesticide specialist says she is “speechless” after Brussels’ proposal to renew authorization in the EU for 10 years
Emmanuel Macron committed in 2017 to no longer using this controversial pesticide in France within three years and to develop alternatives. Today, it is clear that there is no alternative to do without glyphosate. “If we are left in a technical impasse, what do we do? At present, we have no other solutions”, said Arnaud Gaillot. When they exist, according to him, “They are too expensive, or we cannot find them because it requires us to go back to the time when we needed hands to come and pick”he explained.
A transition that “can take time”
“That doesn’t mean that companies aren’t looking, but it can take time. It can take a few years. I’m not a scientist and researcher, so I rely on people who are qualified.”, he continued. The European Commission’s proposal follows in particular a report from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) estimating that the level of risk did not justify banning this pesticide.