Misiones seeks to repeal glyphosate ban and address yerba mate crisis

The government of Misiones, Argentina, is moving to repeal a provincial ban on the use of glyphosate. Governor Hugo Passalacqua has instructed his legislative bloc to modify Law VIII No. 103, which originally aimed to promote bioinputs and phase out chemical products. While the province had previously extended the transition period to 2030, the new initiative seeks to directly strike the article prohibiting glyphosate and its related components.

Simultaneously, yerba mate producers and workers are pushing for a “Yerba Mate Emergency Law” in the provincial Chamber of Deputies. This proposal seeks to address a regional economic crisis following a national decree that removed the National Institute of Yerba Mate’s (INYM) ability to regulate raw material prices. The proposed law would allow the provincial executive to set a mandatory minimum price for green leaf to ensure production costs and profit margins are covered, aiming to protect family-run farms.