Why haven't cancer-causing herbicides been banned in Vietnam?

Mr. Hoang Trung, Director of the Plant Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), said that this agency has completed all documents and scientific evidence to advise the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to make a decision to eliminate the active ingredient Glyphosate in the near future.

Although currently, many corporations and businesses distributing and importing herbicides containing the active ingredient glyphosate have expressed opposing views that if Vietnam bans this active ingredient, it will increase the cost of weed control in agricultural production many times over and crop yields will decrease.

Roundup herbicide by Bayer AG.

However, Mr. Trung said, Glyphosate is the active ingredient that has just been ruled by a US court for the second time as the culprit causing cancer in a US gardener. The herbicide is produced by Monsanto Corporation. The US is a country with many corporations, including Monsanto, they have full grounds for the verdict and in fact more than 40 countries have taken action from banning to restricting this active ingredient.

Explaining why there has been no official decision to ban it up to now, Mr. Hoang Trung said that it is necessary to comply with Vietnamese law and international practice, while avoiding negative impacts on business operations. However, Mr. Trung emphasized: "We will definitely ban it as soon as possible."

Glyphosate is the active ingredient that has just been ruled by a US court for the second time as the culprit causing cancer in an American gardener after a long period of use.

Previously, the Plant Protection Department sent a document to businesses importing and trading in pesticides and herbicides containing Glyphosate, requesting them to report the quantity imported and the quantity remaining in stock in order to have an accurate solution. However, in the document sent to businesses, the Plant Protection Department requested that businesses temporarily not import any more pesticides containing Glyphosate.

Previously, the Plant Protection Department sent a document to organizations and individuals trading in plant protection products requesting reports on the production and trade of herbicides containing the active ingredient Glyphosate, and temporarily not importing more plant protection products containing the active ingredient.