Argentina calculates losses of US$ 16.8 billion if Europe does not renew use of glyphosate

The president of the No-Tillage Growers Association of Argentina (Aapresid), Pedro Vigneau, warned that if Europe does not renew the authorization for the glyphosate herbicide, Argentina could see losses of US$ 16.8 billion.

Permission to use the herbicide is expected to end in mid-December. The previous authorization had been granted in the middle of last year.  A proposal to extend the use of glyphosate for five more years has been suggested, though a number of countries, including France, oppose the extension. 

Recently, there was a vote on the glyphosate issue, in which 14 countries voted in favor, nine against and five abstained. While the use of glyphosates received a majority of the votes, it did not reach a threshold of 55% of the countries representing 65% of the European population.

According to Vigneau, the cost for Argentina to convert to conventional agriculture methods, including the use of more agrochemicals and mechanical applications, is about US$ 8.7 billion.

The European Union is also the major destination for Argentinian soybean meal exports. Therefore, nearly US$ 3.2 billion would be at stake if the use of glyphosates is blocked. In addition, there is a danger that nearly five million hectares would no longer be suitable for agriculture due to cost increases, located primarily in the North of the country. Further, losses caused by a fall in exports due to reduced planting areas would reach US$ 4.8 billion.