Glufosinate Sprayed on Adzuki Beans 09"[Fact Check]German Officials Contradict Taiwan Pesticide Makers and Authorities, Confirming "Glufosinate Has Been Banned in the EU"
Less than four months after paraquat, which can kill with a single sip, was phased out, the Taiwan government plans to allow another herbicide - glufosinate - to be used as a desiccant before adzuki bean harvest. However, after the 2ppm pesticide residue tolerance was announced, not only were consumers worried about food safety risks, but after "NewsMarket" reported that glufosinate is neurotoxic and highly reproductively toxic, and was banned by the EU in 2018, even farmers spraying it on the front lines began to worry about their own health and that of their families.
To soothe the concerns of both eaters and users, the Council of Agriculture repeatedly stressed that all standards had undergone rigorous scientific research and expert assessment. However, after "NewsMarket" reporters combed through EU materials and interviewed experts in Germany, France, Sweden and elsewhere one by one, they discovered the truth about glufosinate that Taiwan officials and pesticide companies did not want the public to know.
Germany: "Glufosinate has been banned in the EU," contradicting Taiwan pesticide makers and officials
Because Taiwan has only limited grasp of the situation in the EU, the Council of Agriculture invited a special guest to its June 23 press conference, CropLife Taiwan chairman Chin Pao-hua, to clear up everyone's doubts: "Glufosinate was not subject to a renewal application for its license for commercial reasons; that does not mean the EU banned it." More notably, Chin Pao-hua is also an associate director at BASF, the major glufosinate manufacturer.
Under the lofty name "CropLife," there is the world's most influential pesticide and biotech lobbying group, which promotes pesticides, GM technology and seed control around the world. Besides BASF, Monsanto, Bayer, Syngenta and, before their merger, Dow and DuPont, are all key players. Monsanto alone contributed 530,000 US dollars (about 16 million New Taiwan dollars) to CropLife International in 2015. Some experts involved in government review procedures are also consultants to these international giants, with no conflict-of-interest recusal, prompting many in Europe and the United States to question the impartiality of the assessment reports.
Former Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine director-general Feng Hai-tung struck the same note as BASF Taiwan at the Council of Agriculture's July 6 expert meeting, saying: "Glufosinate was abandoned because the company did not submit an application; it was not banned. It went from approved status back to unapproved status. Don't think of it so strongly. The main issue is that some properties are questionable. Don't resort to alarmism."
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