Germany Introduces Plan to Ban Glyphosate

Germany introduced a plan to phase out glyphosate by Dec. 31, 2023, which would ban the use of herbicides containing the chemical, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agriculture Service said in a report released Sept. 18. The date coincides with the European Union’s expiration of its approval of products that contain glyphosate, which will make the chemical illegal throughout the EU, the report said. Germany plans to begin its “glyphosate reduction strategy” in 2020, the USDA said, banning the chemical from being used in private gardens, parks, “specified nature protection zones” and public areas, such as schools and public sports grounds. U.S. food and agricultural exports may be affected starting Jan. 1, 2024, “when the maximum residue level for glyphosate will fall to the detection limit,” the USDA said.