CROPLIFE Australia, an advocacy body for the agricultural chemical and biotechnology sector, has blasted the ABC for its recent report on local council’s use of chemicals with the active ingredient glyphosate.
The article, published this week by the ABC’s Josie Taylor, said local councils around the country were still using products with glyphosate despite the World Health Organisation warning the chemical 'probably causes cancer'.
Glyphosate was originally trade marked as ‘Roundup’ and is commonly used for agricultural and household purposes.
CropLife’s chief executive Matthew Clossey, Canberra, said the ABC’s article contained several serious factual inaccuracies and misled the public.
“Ms Taylor’s article and subsequent radio and television reports seemed more concerned with misleading, sensationalised fear mongering than providing correct and useful information to the Australian public,” Mr Clossey said.
He said he would write a formal complaint to the national broadcaster.
“An article that simply regurgitates false activist propaganda against overwhelming independent global scientific analysis is irresponsible and effectively misleads consumers.”
Mr Clossey’s criticisms centred on the article’s omission of “pertinent information”, saying “all glyphosate products have been extensively and independently assessed by regulators in the USA, Canada, Australia and Europe and found to be safe”.
He said the European Food Safety Authority also published a peer reviewed article that concluded glyphosate is unlikely to pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans and the evidence does not support classification with regard to its carcinogenic potential.