2016 has been the year of the controversy about glyphosate, the “pesticide of the XX century”, after the WHO accused this chemical herbicide to be carcinogenic. The non-profit environmentalist associations celebrated the limitations on its use in Europe, but didn’t evaluate the situation of the agricultural commodities overseas, especially for wheat.
A broad-spectrum herbicide, so efficient that it allows to give up on the traditional practices and to reduce the employment of manpower for agriculture. The downside has been the leakage of toxic substances in the environment, to the detriment of workers, consumers and citizens, the pollution of the land and the subterranean water and the decrease of biodiversity[1].
After 40 years of massive use, glyphosate is by the way bound to disappear. Unfortunately, the result is not due to its collateral effects, but to its low profitability, since its license has already expired. The American Group that produces it has in facts decided to replace it with a brand new super-herbicide.
Dicamba is the name of the possible pesticide of the XXI century. A substance that we already know, and that has recently been added to a brand new mixture, already defined as neurotoxic, cause of damages to the reproductive system, of malformation risks for the fetus (for some animal species), of damages to liver and kidneys, toxic for birds and water species, cause of percolation for the subterranean waters.
Luckily in Italy, according to the EFSA’s analysis, 65,5% of the food tested is pesticide free, 34,2% shows up traces within the established limits and only the 0,3% is irregular, with pesticide residues beyond the limits.
In fact, Italian agriculture is nowadays the most organic in Europe, with 281 registered designation of origin (Dop/Igp) products, the denial to use GMOs and the highest number of organic companies, where the use of pesticides is forbidden.
That’s the reason why Probios keeps preferring, if possible, Italian raw materials and manufacturing companies, to obtain and offer the best products, respecting the health of people and the environment.
