66% were outraged that glyphosate was used in the UK food system
Across Britain's cereal fields, a herbicide classified by the World Health Organization as probably carcinogenic continues to be sprayed on crops in the days before harvest — a practice Europe banned three years ago. As UK and EU negotiators shape a new trade agreement, that prohibition may cross the Channel by necessity rather than by choice. The question now before the British government is whether regulatory alignment with Europe will arrive as a diplomatic concession or as a long-overdue act of public health conscience — and whether a largely uninformed public will have any say before November's licensing deadline forces the matter.
- A herbicide linked to cancer, genetic damage, and over 17,000 US lawsuits is still routinely sprayed on British wheat and oats just before harvest, leaving residues in nearly a third of bread samples tested in 2024.
- The EU banned this pre-harvest practice in 2023, and ongoing trade negotiations between London and Brussels are now creating pressure for the UK to follow — not out of conviction, but out of commercial necessity.
- The chemical industry is fighting back hard: a coalition including Bayer and Syngenta is lobbying the Health and Safety Executive for license renewal and carve-outs that would preserve the pre-harvest use even under a new trade deal.
- Environmental and health groups — from the Soil Association to Greenpeace — have written to Defra urging the government to treat the trade talks as an opportunity to phase out glyphosate as a desiccant, aligning public health with trade policy.
- The UK glyphosate license expires in November 2026, and a survey reveals that 79 percent of British adults have never heard of the chemical — yet 66 percent say they are outraged by its use once informed.
In the days before harvest, British wheat and oat fields are still routinely sprayed with glyphosate — a herbicide used to dry out crops and ease the mechanical work of gathering. It is a common practice, but not an uncontested one. The World Health Organization classified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic in 2015, and a panel of experts concluded earlier this year that it causes genetic damage, oxidative stress, and hormonal disruption. More than 17,000 lawsuits have been filed in the United States by people who say the chemical caused their cancer. Across the Channel, the EU banned pre-harvest glyphosate use in 2023. Britain did not follow.
Now, trade negotiations between the UK and EU may force the issue. Officials at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are in talks aimed at simplifying commerce between the two regions, and environmental groups — including the Soil Association, Greenpeace, and the Wildlife Trusts — have written to Defra urging the government to use the moment to phase out glyphosate as a desiccant. Testing between 2016 and 2023 found residues in 41 percent of UK cereal crops; in 2024, nearly three in ten bread samples contained traces of the chemical.
The chemical industry is not waiting passively. The Glyphosate Renewal Group — a coalition that includes Bayer, Syngenta, and Nufarm — has submitted filings to the Health and Safety Executive lobbying for renewal of the UK license, which expires in November 2026, and for exceptions that would preserve pre-harvest use regardless of what any trade deal requires. Defra has not commented publicly on the negotiations, though it has already signalled to farmers that pesticide regulations are likely to shift.
What makes the moment particularly striking is the public's near-total ignorance of it. A survey found that 79 percent of British adults had never heard of glyphosate — yet 83 percent said they were concerned about long-term exposure to chemical residues, and 66 percent expressed outrage upon learning the practice existed at all. By November, the government will have to decide whether to renew a license most citizens have never considered, or align with Europe on a restriction most would likely support if they understood what was at stake.
In the fields of Britain, a chemical spray still falls on wheat and oats in the days before harvest, a practice designed to dry out the crops and make them easier to gather. That spray is glyphosate, a herbicide so potent it kills nearly everything it touches. But across the Channel, this same practice has been forbidden since 2023. Now, as British and European negotiators work through the terms of a new trade agreement meant to simplify commerce between the two regions, that prohibition may be coming to the UK whether farmers want it or not.
Glyphosate arrived in agriculture as a solution to a practical problem. Spraying it on cereal and pulse crops shortly before harvest desiccates them—dries them out—making the mechanical work of gathering faster and cleaner. It became routine. But the chemical's safety profile has darkened considerably. In 2015, the World Health Organization classified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans. Since then, more than 17,000 lawsuits have been filed in the United States by people alleging the herbicide caused their cancer or other serious illnesses. A panel of experts concluded in March that glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides cause genetic damage, oxidative stress, and hormonal disruption. The recommendation was stark: regulatory agencies worldwide should treat these chemicals as hazardous and act without delay to limit or eliminate their use.
Yet in Britain, glyphosate remains everywhere. Between 2016 and 2023, testing found residues in 41 percent of cereal crops. In 2024, nearly three in ten bread samples contained traces of the chemical. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is now in talks with EU officials over a trade agreement designed to make commerce easier, cheaper, and more predictable. Environmental groups—the Soil Association, the Nature Friendly Farming Network, Greenpeace, the Wildlife Trusts, and others—have seized on the moment. In an open letter to Defra, they argued that phasing out glyphosate as a pre-harvest desiccant would address public health concerns, protect nature, and smooth the path toward closer European trade.
The chemical industry sees the same deadline and is moving in the opposite direction. The UK's glyphosate license expires in November 2026. A coalition called the Glyphosate Renewal Group—which includes Bayer, Syngenta, Nufarm, and others—has submitted multiple filings to the Health and Safety Executive, the agency that licenses pesticides. They are lobbying hard for renewal and pushing for exceptions that would allow the pre-harvest use to continue even if a trade deal restricts it elsewhere.
Defra has not publicly commented on the trade negotiations, but the department has already signaled to farmers and businesses that changes are coming. Officials have warned them to expect shifts in pesticide regulations and maximum residue levels. The irony is that even with glyphosate restrictions in place, the European pesticide regime remains permissive overall. A report from the European Food Safety Authority released this week found that 41.6 percent of fruit and vegetables sold in the EU contained pesticide residues. Farmers, it seems, will adapt.
What is striking is how little the British public knows about any of this. A survey commissioned by Riverford, an organic food retailer campaigning against pre-harvest spraying, found that 79 percent of adults had never heard of glyphosate. Yet 83 percent expressed concern about long-term exposure to chemical residues in food, and 66 percent said they were outraged to learn that glyphosate was being used in the UK food system at all. The knowledge gap is vast, but the anxiety is real. By November, when the UK's glyphosate license comes up for renewal, the government will have to choose: align with Europe and restrict the chemical, or defend a practice that most of its citizens have never heard of and would likely oppose if they understood what it meant.
Notable Quotes
Experts are increasingly warning that there is no 'safe dose' of glyphosate, meaning the chemical should be removed from our food.— Cathy Cliff, Soil Association campaigns coordinator
Regulatory agencies in countries around the world should treat glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides as hazardous and act without further delay to limit their use or eliminate them to protect public health.— Panel of experts, March 2026
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does glyphosate need to be sprayed right before harvest? Why not just let the crop dry naturally?
It's about efficiency and consistency. If you wait for crops to dry on their own, you're at the mercy of weather—rain, humidity, unexpected frost. Spraying glyphosate desiccates the crop in days, so the machinery can move through on schedule. It's a tool for controlling timing and reducing losses.
But the EU banned it in 2023. How did they manage without it?
They found alternatives. Mechanical harvesting, different crop varieties, adjusted timing. It's more labor-intensive and sometimes less efficient, but it's possible. The question for British farmers is whether they're willing to absorb those costs if the trade deal forces the change.
The WHO called it probably carcinogenic. Why is it still legal here?
Because regulatory approval and public knowledge are two different things. The chemical was approved decades ago, and the licensing system moves slowly. The WHO classification didn't automatically trigger a ban—it triggered lawsuits and pressure. The real shift is happening now, through trade negotiations, not through direct health policy.
What does the chemical industry actually want?
They want the license renewed in November and they want exceptions carved into any trade deal. They're betting that the government will protect a profitable product, especially if farmers say they need it. They're also betting that public awareness stays low.
Is there any chance the public pressure changes things?
The survey is revealing. Most people don't know glyphosate exists, but when they learn it's in their bread, they're angry. That's the real wildcard. If awareness spreads before November, it becomes harder for the government to renew quietly.