2014 Beijing Food Safety & Sustainable Agriculture Forum
Open Letter to the Chinese People and Government
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Glyphosate/Roundup:
When Monsanto applied for "pesticide registration" in China in 1988, it submitted a toxicology test report to the Ministry of Agriculture on glyphosate herbicide ('Roundup') issued by 'Younger Laboratories' on Dec. 23, 1985.
When Beijing citizens requested that Monsanto disclose this toxicology test report, the Monsanto Far East Co. Ltd. Beijing Representative Office responded: The toxicology test report on glyphosate herbicide 'Roundup' is an important commercial secret of Monsanto and contains important privacy and commercial secret information. This company has never disclosed it to the public and therefore does not agree to its release.
The above toxicology test report forms the safety basis for the Ministry of Agriculture to grant approval to Monsanto for "pesticide registration" of Roundup in China, allowing Roundup enter the Chinese market, and misled China's glyphosate industry develop into the largest producer and exporter of the world.
Furthermore, this toxicology test report also forms part of the safety basis for the Ministry of Agriculture to grant the "safety certificate" to Monsanto RR soybeans, RR corn, RR canola with high glyphosate/Roundup residue, allowing massive imports of these Monsanto RR crop products into China.
Monsanto's Roundup is the most widest sprayed herbicide in the world, but Monsanto to date has never disclosed its safety toxicology test report on Roundup in any nation, accordingly, this critical document is essential not only to human safety of the Chinese people, but also to the safety of global mankind.
We therefore request that the Chinese government disregard Monsanto's unreasonable demands and disclose this toxicology test report on glyphosate herbicide 'Roundup' that was submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture in 1988.
We also urge the Chinese government to organize independent minimum two years "food safety" toxicology tests on low levels of glyphosate/Roundup residues contained in animal feed, in soybean food oil, in soybean protein powder, and in Non-GM soybeans, corn, wheat and barley sprayed with glyphosate as a desiccant before harvest.
Until the independent minimum two years "food safety" toxicology tests on low levels of glyphosate/Roundup residues are completed, we suggest that the Chinese government issue a moratorium on glyphosate production, sales, application and exports, and on Roundup imports, sales and application.
