Minister of Agriculture Saboto Caesar is calling on all Ministers of Agriculture within CARICOM to implement an immediate ban on the use of glyphosate in the CARICOM food system.
In 2018, St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) took a bold step by prohibiting the use of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, a weed killer manufactured by Monsanto.
This decision was prompted by the landmark case of Dewayne Johnson, a former school groundskeeper in the USA, who claimed that Roundup, linked to his terminal cancer, resulted in a substantial jury award of US$289 million.
Johnson, aged 46, contended that prolonged exposure to the herbicide led to his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
According to an official release from Agriculture Ministry, The decision by SVG reflects a growing awareness of the potential health risks and cancer related illnesses associated with the use of glyphosate, emphasizing the need for stringent measures and considerations for public safety.
