POISONED FIELDS – GLYPHOSATE, AN UNDERRATED RISK?

Glyphosate is the world's best-selling herbicide. Most glyphosate products are used in agriculture. They are a simple and cost-effective way of controlling weeds that can otherwise persist for years. Some consider it to be completely harmless, while others say it is a serious health hazard for man and animals. Large-scale studies of the herbicide have been carried out mostly by the industry itself. These studies would be too expensive for individual authorities. In 2016 the approval for glyphosate in Europe has to be renewed. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in Germany has been responsible for assessing possible health risks. Yet instead of conducting its own research they have been following the evaluations provided by the industry – which forgets to identify any risk at all. In the middle of the decision-making process, WHO cancer experts have announced that the herbicide produced by Monsanto, Syngenta and BASF is not only toxic but probably carcinogenic. The film takes a look behind the scenes, reviews evidence plainly ignored by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, and examines proof provided by farmers, veterinarians and independent scientists in Germany, Denmark and the United States.