The federal controlled Environmental Protection Agency in the United States has stated that glyphosate, one of the most widely used herbicides in agriculture, likely does not cause cancer.
The assessment contradicts the conclusion of a European scientific panel as well as California regulators, who have included the chemical on the Proposition 65 list of probable carcinogens.
Environmentalists worldwide have fought to encourage governments to ban the pesticide.
The European Union in November voted to extend the license of the chemical for five years. The EPA will be considering a similar extension of the product’s registration for use in 2019, and Monday’s draft assessment is a foundational document in that process.
