Dutch garden centers to stop selling glyphoste-containing pesticides

Garden centers in the Netherlands will stop selling pesticides containing glyphosate from January 22, sector organization Tuinbranche Nederland agreed with environmental organization Natuur & Milieu. More sustainable weed and pest killers will be promoted instead, the organizations said on Thursday, ANP reports.

The best known glyphosate containing pesticide in the Netherlands is Roundup. There is currently a lot of debate about how harmful glyphosate is. The World Health Organization registered the substance as "probably carcinogenic". And it is known to affect soil life.

The European Commission will allow the use of glyphosate until the end of 2022, pending a new, currently ongoing, risk assessment on the substance.

The Dutch garden industry decided not to wait. It wants to encourage consumers to make more sustainable choices. "This includes greening Dutch gardens and reducing the use of private pesticides," a spokesperson for Tuinbranche Nederland said to the news wire. 

The 450 retailers and 120 suppliers of garden products that are affiliated with the association also want to stop the use of vinegar and chlorine in gardens. "When these products are sold, it will be more clearly indicated that they are not a sustainable choice and are not intended for the garden," the spokesperson said. 

Natuur & Milieu is happy that the industry is taking steps. "Unfortunately, there is still no legal ban on harmful pesticides, such as glyphosate, so we are happy with this good action by the industry itself," Rob van Tilburg of the environmental organization said.