Study: Kidney damage caused by glyphosate

For years, researchers have been trying to explain the epidemic kidney diseases of agricultural workers on sugar cane plantations in Central America and rice fields in Sri Lanka. Now, an international research team sees the cause of the disease in the intensive usage of herbicides glyphosate and paraquat, to which agricultural workers are exposed without protection.

The study was pointed out by the Inkota-network for development policy, which works closely with agricultural workers’ organisations in Central America. Inkota press releases stated that new scientific findings of an international research team from El Salvador, Belgium, Cuba and Sri Lanka show that the herbicides paraquat and glyphosate are largely responsible for the diseases.

Abnormal changes in cell metabolism

The study found that active substances in glyphosate and paraquat lead to abnormal changes in the cell metabolism so that harmful substances can no longer be removed by the kidneys. The Belgian nephrologist and toxicologist Marc de Broe presented the findings of the 10-year research study this June at the annual congress of the European Renal Association, reports the Schweizer Wochenzeitung (Swiss weekly). The study will be published in a handbook for nephrology at Oxford University.

Research team suggests glyphosate as cause for kidney failures

On Central American sugar cane fields, both glyphosate and the herbicide paraquat (banned in the EU since 2007) are used. It is known that paraquat is toxic and can lead to kidney damages. In contrast, kidney-damaging effects of glyphosate were originally not a main focus. This has changed in recent years, when epidemic kidney diseases occurred among agricultural workers on rice fields in Sri Lanka. There, no paraquat but mainly glyphosate is used. The research team was able to show that the abnormal changes of the kidneys of agricultural workers in El Salvador and Sri Lanka are similar. From this, they concluded that the kidney failures in Sri Lanka could have also been caused by a herbicide – in this case glyphosate.

Glyphosate producers reject connection to chronic kidney disease

So far, the glyphosate producers have rejected such a connection. Instead, they have put forward other possible causes for the kidney failures of farm workers, ranging from heavy metal exposure to dehydration from working in the heat. Researchers from several US-universities disagree with this. In a current paper, they substantiate the hypothesis that glyphosate is an important factor in the reported kidney diseases.

Expert criticises bonding of German Federal Minister for Agriculture Klöckner with agricultural industry

Inkota-Agricultural expert Lena Michelsen called on politicians to act. She demanded that the German government should ensure that European companies such as Bayer and Syngenta are no longer allowed to market toxic pesticides in countries of the global South. She further said that the German Minister of Agriculture should push for a ban on glyphosate during the re-evaluation phase of glyphosate in the European Union, “instead of continuing to cuddle with the agricultural industry”.

Addition by editorial team: German Federal Cabinet adopts glyphosate ban as of 2024

The German government has finally realised that glyphosate poses a risk. This week, the German Federal Cabinet decided to ban the use of glyphosate from 2024. Until then, the herbicide should be used more sparingly – especially in public areas, but also in agriculture. By the end of 2023, only a quarter of the current consumption is to be used. An export ban to protect agricultural workers overseas is not yet planned. 

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