Say NO to More Glyphosate in Our Food: Submissions Open Now

New Zealand Food Safety (through FSANZ and MPI) is proposing to raise the legal limits of various agricultural compounds including glyphosate in key staple foods. If you care about food safety, public health and the environmental — now’s the time to have your say.

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the world. In New Zealand, it's sprayed on crops like wheat, oats, barley, and peas – often just before harvest to speed up drying. This method, known as pre-harvest desiccation, leaves residue on food that ends up in our pantries (and our gut).

Now, MPI wants to dramatically increase the allowable glyphosate residue in these foods:

  • Wheat, oats, barley: from 0.1 to 10 mg/kg

  • Field peas (dried): from 0.1 to 6 mg/kg

That’s a 60–100x increase.

Why This Matters

Glyphosate has been classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans” by the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer. Even at low doses, there is growing concern over its links to cancer, reproductive harm, antibiotic resistance, and endocrine disruption.

Raising residue limits undermines food safety, reduces consumer confidence, and puts farmers who avoid synthetic inputs at a disadvantage. It also contradicts our clean, green image — risking New Zealand’s reputation in high-value export markets.

Submissions Are NOW Open – Here’s How to Have Your Say

Deadline: 5 pm, 16 May 2025
Email: ACVM.Consultation@mpi.govt.nz

Further info and actions:
👉 Read the NZ Food Safety Discussion Paper (PDF)

👉 Read the OANZ submission

👉 Sign the petition

  • Your email can be simple and personal. Here’s as suggested format:

    Subject: Submission on Glyphosate MRL Proposal – I Oppose

    To: ACVM.Consultation@mpi.govt.nz

    Kia ora,

    I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed increase in glyphosate Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) in food as outlined in the March 2025 Discussion Document from New Zealand Food Safety.

    I disagree with the proposed changes to glyphosate residue limits in wheat, oats, barley, and field peas. Increasing MRLs from 0.1 mg/kg to 6–10 mg/kg puts public health at risk, undermines food safety standards, and erodes trust in New Zealand’s regulatory systems.

    As a consumer [or farmer/parent/health worker/etc.], I am concerned about the impact of glyphosate on:
    – Long-term health
    – Soil and environmental health
    – Organic and regenerative producers who choose not to use it
    – New Zealand’s clean, green export brand

    I urge MPI to maintain the current, more precautionary MRLs and prioritise a reduction in chemical residues in our food system.

    Please keep me informed on the outcome of this consultation.

    Ngā mihi,
    [Your Name]
    [City/Region]
    [Optional: whether you’re submitting as an individual or on behalf of an organisation]

    Top Tips:

    • Keep it respectful and clear

    • Use your own words if possible — authenticity counts

    • Encourage friends, whānau, colleagues, and your community to send one too

Every Voice Matters

Submissions like this can help to stop previous attempts to weaken laws — and we can do it again. The more public pressure, the stronger the signal that New Zealanders will not accept weaker food protections.

Let’s stand together for safe food and a farming future that works with nature — not against it.

Louise Vicente