European Union’s imminent ban on glyphosate: Hormesis should be considered in new chemical screening and selection

Abstract

The European Federation of Food, Agriculture, and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT) called for the immediate ban on glyphosate in the 2022 renewal process, promoting the use of natural herbicides and recommending against the use of other harmful or hazardous chemicals. The new chemical testing and selection research agendas should consider the hormetic effects of individual natural herbicides, and their potential mixtures, on targeted and non-targeted organisms to avoid stimulation of pests and negative effects on non-targeted organisms. New scientific research programs are needed to study the effects of mixtures of natural pesticides on soils, plants, animals, and microorganisms within the context of agroforestry.