By   Bodhi Dhanapala, Quebec, Canada.

In a news report by Don Asoka Wijewardena in the Island newspaper  (15th of June, 2015), we are told that Scientists welcome glyphosate Ban …..”

However, it should be stated that the vast majority of Sri Lankan scientists had expressed opposition to the ban via the National Academy of Sciences, as well as via a communique by the leading scientists of the  kidney research initiative in Peradeniya which includes a number of renowned nephrologists, chemists, agriculturists,  geologists etc.  This applies to all the major countries be they in the West or East, where the  main-stream scientists speaking though their national academies, food and agriculture authorities have all taken pains to explain that the WHO-ruling does not affect existing agricultural practice.  Glyphosate is freely available to the consumer in, e.g., the USA, Canada or Australia and there is no substantial public hysteria. However, in France the government has pacified irrational public fears by controlling  the over-the-counter sales to unregistered individuals. However, it should be noted that France generates nearly 80% of its electricity from nuclear power, ignoring occasional public  outbursts questioning the safety of nuclear energy. Because of this, France has never been subject to the burden of high oil prices.

The number of scientists who support the ban can be counted on one’s fingers, and are associated with Dr. Jayasumana, a follower of Dr. Nalin de Silva’s claims about Arsenic being the cause of kidney disease. This has the political patronage of  Ven. Rathana, a key figure in the present Power structure. Dr. Jayasumana et al claim that Arsenic and Glyphosate together cause kidney disease, even though neither Arsenic, nor Glyphosate has been detected in the Rajarata water table, even at the level of one part of the suspected substance per billion  parts of water.  This essential absence of As and other metal toxins etc  have been confirmed by at least three independent studies beside the WHO-sponsored study that came out in 2013.

In effect, the main-stream scientists (i.e., the vast majority of scientists who have taken an interest in the problem) feel that there is no cause for banning Glyphosate which is being used in a big way by most countries that are leaders in Agriculture. That is, basically, USA, Europe, Australia, Russia and China.

It is very interesting to note that the concentrated effort to ban Glyphosate  has been launched when China became the leading exporter of this herbicide. The  patent (held by Monsanto) had expired and China has successfully displace all other manufacturers and become the leading supplier and a leading user of it. Hence banning Glyphosate is in keeping with the mistaken foreign policy of the so-called Yaha-paalanaya” government where there are  slowly burning their links with China and trying hard to tie their sails to the American   standard.

When it is stated that Glyphosate and Arsenic are not detected even at the level of 10 parts per billion, most people do not appreciate what this means.  Less  than 10 parts per billion is like not even 10 terrorists being in the whole of India which has roughly  a billion (1,000,000, 000) people. That is, for 20,000,000 (roughly Lanka’s population), we would have not even 1/5 of one terrorist in the country!  Do we take draconian steps when that is the case, putting our plantation economy at risk?
To claim that such virtually non-existent substances are causing Kidney disease or any other disease would be similar to claiming that an unsolved murder by stabbing was done by some one who was not even in the country when the crime happened.

Is President Sirisena banning Glyphosate because of less than 1/5 of a terrorist, when he is alleged to be releasing LTTE prisoners, while his foreign minister is holding talks with Father Emmanuel!

Although all environmental issues are complex, the public has no time to go thorough the intricate arguments of scientists. Some even prefer to be told that the answer came from a divine revelation, be it Vishnu or Natha. When ever there was an epidemic, it was normal to seek divine help. Allowing scientists and doctors to handle epidemics have been a very recent experience in human history, and sometimes, even today,  the Kattadiyas and Astrologers can take the upper hand.

Although the average life expectancy has  increased dramatically, with infant mortality rates dropping to near zero, people prefer to believe that they are less healthy than in the days of yore. While the quality of food and water and the standard of housing and sanitation enjoyed  by the majority of the people have improved by leaps and bounds, they think that matters have worsened. They only have idyllic and nostalgic ideas of ancient times. Also, they can always  see much better living standards in TV shows and tourist hotels.

If people are getting ill, it cannot be their lack of exercise, sugar, salt and fat laced food.  It cannot be something wrong here at home. It must bet the pesticide and fertilizer resides residues poisoning us food chain.  In fact one writer remarked that  Western companies exploit to the maximum the less developed countries by supplying low quality agricultural chemicals such as glyphosate ,  high in toxins while working with the developed countries in keeping with approved standards.” Thus we have a conspiracy theory, and a colonial exploitation theory where the Western companies are deliberately selling poison. Presumably, the Glyphosate used in the west is not toxic, but what is sold to us is toxic!

In fact, when the WHO-report arrived in2013, a lot of people were surprised and angered that the analytical chemists  found no evidence of significant levels of heavy metal toxins, pesticide residues etc., in our soil, water or rice! Even scientists rejected it finding fault with it. However, subsequent chemical analyses by other independent research have confirmed this position and our environment is in much better shape than we thought!

And yet, some people want to ban pesticides, fertilizers etc., as a matter of precaution. Unfortunately, although all of us like to get rid of them, the alternatives will in the end lead to dire consequences. So developing countries need to learn to use them correctly, as they do very successfully in more technically advanced countries.. If we go back to traditional agriculture, we would be increasing soil erosion, and generating enormous amounts of green house gases from our compost pits. We would be increasing the amount of metal toxins in the composted manure in each cycle of composting as plants bio-accumulate toxins and  the toxins get transferred to the compost. In the end, the harvests are also very low, with huge demands on water and manual labour. The latter will surely  lead to the re-enslavement of poor people, and the continued torture of cattle and other animals as beasts of burden.