Glyphosate and Soil Health
Glyphosate plays a critical role in modern farming systems, including conservation and regenerative agriculture, where it helps reduce the need for intensive tillage and supports soil health. Without it, farmers would be more reliant on mechanical methods that can increase soil disturbance, emissions, and costs.
Glyphosate continues to make a significant contribution to UK agriculture, supporting around £680 million in annual crop production and underpinning the productivity of key crops such as cereals.[1] Glyphosate facilitates conservation and regenerative agriculture practices, which reduces soil erosion by 70% and improves water infiltration by more than 30% compared to conventional tillage.[2] Reducing soil erosion plays a key role in reducing flooding risk. Furthermore, limiting tillage improves the amount of organic carbon stored in soil. Together these methods enable farmers to improve environmental outcomes for the agricultural sector.
The Glyphosate Renewal Group remains committed to a science-based, evidence-led approach to the UK renewal process, ensuring that decisions are grounded in robust data and reflect the needs of farmers, the environment, and food security.
The UK’s maritime climate, particularly in Scotland and Northern England, creates short and highly variable harvest windows, increasing the risk of disruption from adverse weather. In these conditions, the pre-harvest use of glyphosate is an important tool for British farmers, enabling them to manage risk and ensure a timely, efficient harvest. This helps to protect both yields and farm incomes in an otherwise unpredictable environment, supporting the resilience of UK food production.
Glyphosate is one of the most extensively studied crop protection tools globally and is approved for use in more than 100 countries, with regulators consistently concluding it can be used safely when used as directed.
[1]https://glyphosate.uk/app/uploads/2026/04/UK-Report-Seeding-the-future-through-Conservation-and-Regenerative-Agriculture_121225-1-1.pdf
[2]https://glyphosate.uk/app/uploads/2026/04/UK-Report-Seeding-the-future-through-Conservation-and-Regenerative-Agriculture_121225-1-1.pdf