Whereas the chemical formula known as glyphosate is known to cause serious eye damage, is a toxic substance for aquatic life and is believed to be responsible for an 81 decline in the Monarch Butterfly population in North America; And whereas glyphosate is now banned in El Salvador, Sri Lanka, Bermuda, Columbia and Vietnam, and juries in California have awarded multi-million dollar settlements against producers of products containing glyphosate and there are now more than 13,000 such lawsuits in the United States alone: Therefore be it resolved that the British Columbia Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development initiate an immediate scientific literature and litigation review of the chemical known as glyphosate; And be it further resolved that until such time as the review is complete and indicates there is no liable risk to the Province of BC and its residents, the chemical known as glyphosate be suspended from all use across the Province, including on all public and private forest lands.
Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide used by the forest sector on a very small percentage of areas to reduce broadleaf competition with conifer plantations in order to accelerate attainment of free to grow status. Federal and provincial governments regulate pesticides to ensure the protection of the environment and the health of Canadians. According to Health Canada no pesticide regulatory authority in the world currently considers glyphosate to be a carcinogenic risk of concern to humans when appropriate application and safety procedures are followed. In spring 2019, in response to a commitment made by Minister Doug Donaldson, the Office of the Chief Forester, with the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development FLNRORD initiated a review of glyphosate use in provincial forests. The review being independently conducted by FPInnovations is assessing the body of peer-reviewed forest science and best practices in the context of an array of forest values, including carbon sequestration, wildfire resilience, biodiversity and the natural range and variation of species and wildlife. The review is nearing completion and will be key to helping inform the development of future policy, guidance and research needs to promote the establishment of healthy and safe forests. Given broad scope of the resolution follow-up should occur with the Ministry of Agriculture. Ministry of Agriculture In Canada all pesticide registration is under the mandate of Health Canada. Pesticides are registered for use only if they do not pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment. All products are thoroughly reviewed to meet these criteria to ensure the product is safe for the applicator, the bystander, the environment and has value. Health Canadas Pest Management Regulatory Agency PMRA also re-evaluates pesticides every 15 years to ensure that each product is still safe to be used as per the label, and continues to meet current standards. Re-evaluation draws on data from registrants, published scientific reports, information from other regulatory agencies and any other relevant information. Glyphosate has just been through a re-evaluation by Health Canada with the final decision published in April 2017. The PMRA routinely works collaboratively with other member countries within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD on the regulation of pesticides. As part of the re-evaluation of an active ingredient, the PMRA takes into consideration recent developments and new information on the status of a pesticide in other jurisdictions. Glyphosate is currently acceptable for use in other OECD countries, including the United States, Australia and the European Union. The recent re-evaluation of glyphosate by Health Canada and other international regulating agencies have stated that glyphosate is unlikely to pose any human health risk and approves all uses as described on the label. Glyphosate is a valuable herbicide that is used in many agriculture cropping systems and has helped reduce soil erosion with the advancement of no-till cropping systems. The Ministry of Agriculture has confidence in the federal and provincial pesticide regulatory agencies and works with them to ensure legislation that results in safe and effective pesticide use. The Ministry encourages the agricultural community to manage pesticides in an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible way through production guides, outreach programs, and web-based material.