The evidence against glyphosate is mounting – this hazardous substance should be banned
City workers spray pesticide. Pic: Unsplash
Do you represent an environmental or community group? Are you concerned about the dangerous use of pesticides? Then please sign our letter below, which will be sent to the Welsh Government
Dear Welsh Government,
We are a collection of residents, community groups, academics, businesses and politicians committed to protecting the health, biodiversity and wellbeing of communities across Wales. We are grateful for the Welsh Government’s stated ambition to be world-leading in sustainability and future generations policy. However, we are increasingly concerned that the continued widespread use of glyphosate-based herbicides in public spaces is incompatible with those ambitions and with the scale of the environmental and public health challenges we now face.
We urge the Welsh Government to adopt a clear, time-bound, nationwide phase-out plan for glyphosate in public settings, alongside a separate, supported transition plan for Welsh agriculture.
1. Human Health – Growing Evidence of Risk
Glyphosate was classified in 2015 by the **International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)** as *“likely carcinogenic to humans.”* Since then, the evidence base has expanded considerably.
Recent reporting has highlighted the detection of glyphosate residues in UK playgrounds, including soil and play equipment, raising serious concerns about exposure in places designed to be safe for children (The Guardian, 2026):
[https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/15/glyphosate-cancer-linked-pesticide-uk-playgrounds](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/15/glyphosate-cancer-linked-pesticide-uk-playgrounds)
Children are uniquely vulnerable to pesticide exposure due to developmental sensitivity and behavioural factors such as hand-to-mouth contact. Research from the University of California, Berkeley (2023) found that childhood exposure to glyphosate and AMPA is associated with increased risks of serious diseases later in life, including liver cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease (reported here):
[https://uk.news.yahoo.com/pesticide-linked-cancer-found-children-095800580.html](https://uk.news.yahoo.com/pesticide-linked-cancer-found-children-095800580.html)
Independent toxicologists have raised concerns that regulatory “safe limits” may not adequately reflect real-world chronic exposure or formulation toxicity (e.g., Professor Michael Antoniou, King’s College London). Emerging evidence also links glyphosate exposure to endocrine disruption, organ toxicity and microbiome disruption.
Public spaces—parks, pavements, playgrounds, sports pitches—are precisely the environments where exposure should be minimised, particularly for children, pets, and vulnerable populations.
2. Biodiversity Emergency – Wales at a Tipping Point
Wales is in a biodiversity emergency. The Natural Resources Wales State of Natural Resources Report 2025 (SoNaRR 2025) makes clear that biodiversity, soil health, water quality and ecosystem resilience continue to decline despite strong legislative frameworks:
[https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/the-state-of-natural-resources-report-2025/sonarr-2025-foreword-and-summary/?lang=en](https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/the-state-of-natural-resources-report-2025/sonarr-2025-foreword-and-summary/?lang=en)
Nearly one in five species in Wales is at risk of extinction. Ecosystems are under sustained pressure from pollution, habitat loss and chemical inputs.
Glyphosate contributes directly and indirectly to these declines:
* It eliminates flowering plants that support pollinators.
* It disrupts soil microbiota essential for nutrient cycling.
* It harms aquatic organisms when residues enter waterways.
* It contributes to reductions in insect biomass, undermining entire food webs.
Evidence summarised in environmental toxicology literature demonstrates impacts on non-target species, especially aquatic organisms (ScienceDirect review):
[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026974912400383X](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026974912400383X)
Research also shows glyphosate affects soil organisms and microbial communities critical to soil health (PAN Europe):
[https://www.pan-europe.info/press-releases/2023/11/beneath-orange-fields-impact-glyphosate-herbicides-soil-organisms](https://www.pan-europe.info/press-releases/2023/11/beneath-orange-fields-impact-glyphosate-herbicides-soil-organisms)
Studies on pollinators demonstrate altered gut microbiota and immune suppression in bees following glyphosate exposure (FEMS Microbiology Ecology):
[https://academic.oup.com/femsec/article/99/7/fiad065/7198109](https://academic.oup.com/femsec/article/99/7/fiad065/7198109)
The loss of insects, birds, and pollinators is not abstract—it directly affects food security, ecosystem stability and long-term resilience.
In January, Defra’s Nature Security Assessment: Global Biodiversity Loss, Ecosystem Collapse and National Security explicitly recognised biodiversity loss as a national security risk:
[https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nature-security-assessment-on-global-biodiversity-loss-ecosystem-collapse-and-national-security/national-security-assessment-on-global-ecosystems-accessible-version](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nature-security-assessment-on-global-biodiversity-loss-ecosystem-collapse-and-national-security/national-security-assessment-on-global-ecosystems-accessible-version)
Continuing the routine use of broad-spectrum herbicides in public environments sits uneasily alongside such warnings.
3. Fossil Fuel Link & Climate Implications
Glyphosate is part of a petrochemical system dependent on fossil fuels. Approximately 99% of synthetic chemicals, including pesticides, are derived from fossil fuel feedstocks** and involve energy-intensive production processes (Pesticide Action Network North America):
[https://www.panna.org/news/linking-fossil-fuels-and-pesticides-to-greenhouse-gases/](https://www.panna.org/news/linking-fossil-fuels-and-pesticides-to-greenhouse-gases/)
Reducing reliance on glyphosate therefore aligns not only with biodiversity and public health goals, but also with climate commitments.
4. Council Action Across the UK – Wales Falling Behind
Momentum across the UK is clear. According to Pesticide Action Network UK over 100 councils in England and Scotland have either stopped using glyphosate entirely or committed to phasing it out in public spaces:
[https://www.pan-uk.org/pesticide-free-towns-success-stories/](https://www.pan-uk.org/pesticide-free-towns-success-stories/)
National media have also reported the rapid expansion of pesticide-free initiatives among UK councils:
[https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/30/uk-councils-pesticides-weedkiller-glyphosate](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/30/uk-councils-pesticides-weedkiller-glyphosate)
Yet to date, no Welsh council has formally joined this list with a full ban or committed phase-out plan.
In Cardiff specifically, we have been raising concerns for several years. A small-scale trial of alternatives was undertaken, but the conclusion was to continue using glyphosate. While we recognise operational challenges, this outcome reflects a precautionary gap at precisely the time when precaution is most needed.
Wales has often positioned itself as progressive and world-leading in environmental governance. This is an opportunity to demonstrate that leadership in practice.
5. Alignment with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015
The Well-being of Future Generations Act requires public bodies to act in ways that:
* Prevent problems from worsening
* Safeguard long-term wellbeing
* Deliver a *Resilient Wales* and a Healthier Wales
* Protect natural resources for future generations
[https://www.futuregenerations.wales/about-us/future-generations-act/](https://www.futuregenerations.wales/about-us/future-generations-act/)
Continuing to apply a chemical classified as probably carcinogenic in playgrounds and public green spaces is difficult to reconcile with the preventative and long-term principles embedded in the Act.
Safe, abundant nature is fundamental to mental health, community cohesion and national wellbeing. Public confidence in green spaces depends on trust that they are not routinely treated with harmful chemicals.
6. Our Request – A National Phase-Out Plan
We respectfully but urgently call for:
1. A formal Welsh Government commitment to phase out glyphosate in all non-agricultural public settings, including streets, playgrounds, parks and sports pitches.
2. A clear, time-bound national phase-out plan with milestones and accountability.
3. A requirement for all Welsh councils to commit to the plan.
4. A separate, supported agricultural transition strategy, promoting Integrated Pest Management and regenerative approaches.
5. Transparent monitoring and public reporting on pesticide reduction.
Wales is already facing a biodiversity emergency, growing public health pressures, and escalating climate instability. Preventative action now will reduce long-term ecological, social and financial costs.
This is not simply an environmental issue. It is a public health issue, a children’s safety issue, a biodiversity survival issue, and a future generations issue.
We believe Wales can lead the UK—and internationally—by adopting a bold, science-led, precautionary approach.
We would welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss how such a transition could be supported collaboratively and pragmatically.
Yours sincerely,
Cardiff Civic Society
Pesticide Action Network
Friends of Gwent Levels
Green Squirrel
Bute Park community orchard trust
Friends of Bute Park
Cathays Wild Gardeners
Secret Garden Cafe
Yes, I’d like to add my organisation’s name to this letter
