The Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Bureau of Standards’ (SVGBS) will soon introduce glyphosate-free certifications for all locally produced and consumed foods, whether for domestic use or export.
This is according to Minister of Agriculture Saboto Caesar who highlighted the upcoming certifications, as he noted that Vincentians farmers face an unjust situation, grappling with elevated production costs to maintain a non-glyphosate food production platform.
The agriculture minister said this is as, others show little regard for these efforts and sell their produce at prices equivalent to those of Vincentian farmers.
Minister Caesar said that in 2024, his ministry will be engaging the services of Gold Standards Lab Inc. for routine testing of imported fruits and vegetables to monitor pesticide residue levels. Additionally, there will be an evaluation of exported products to ensure compliance with established standards.
SVG’s Agriculture Minister is urging all Ministers of Agriculture and Health within CARICOM to treat this issue with utmost seriousness and implement an immediate ban on the use of glyphosate.
In 2018 SVG prohibited the use of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, a weed killer manufactured by Monsanto.