European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen gave key ground to the farmer movement on Tuesday by deciding to bury a plan to halve chemical pesticide use by the end of this decade. This video explains how glyphosate, one of the most used pesticides in the world, works. VIDEOGRAPHIC
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00:00 Glyphosate contains an additive which fixes the herbicide to the surface of the leaves
00:12 so that it is better absorbed.
00:15 The product spreads all the way to the roots through the sap.
00:23 It prevents plants from absorbing nutrients coming from the soil and by photosynthesis.
00:30 It inhibits enzymes, proteins present in the cells, which are necessary for certain chemical
00:36 reactions essential to biological activity.
00:38 The plant can no longer synthesize the proteins which it needs.
00:44 Deprived of these elements essential to growth, the young plant deteriorates and after 4 to
00:49 10 days dies.
00:50 This can take several weeks in the case of adult plants.
00:54 Glyphosate is not a selective herbicide.
00:56 It kills all plants even if some species are more sensitive to it than others.
01:02 To allow the use of glyphosate in soybean and corn crops, which have already germinated,
01:07 the plants must be genetically modified so they can withstand the exposure to the herbicide.
01:13 The herbicide spreads in the soil and water.
01:16 It is considered toxic for aquatic organisms and there are major concerns about its effects
01:21 on humans.
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