Arthur Neslen

EU regulators dismissed key scientific evidence linking glyphosate to rodent tumours in a positive assessment they gave for continued sales of the substance last week, according to a new report by environmental campaigners.

Glyphosate is the world’s most widely used weedkiller and its EU relicensing has become a touchstone in a wider battle between environmentalists and agribusiness over the future of farming.

A separate study last week found that glyphosate was seriously damaging the ability of wild bumblebees to regulate colony temperatures.

Meanwhile the report by the NGOs says that the assessment by the European Chemical Agency (Echa) contains “serious scientific shortcomings that question its scientific objectivity”, because of an alleged rejection of findings from 10 out of 11 studies which link the herbicide ingredient to tumour formations.