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Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is sometimes used as a desiccant in wheat, meaning it's sprayed on wheat plants before harvest to speed up drying and even out ripening. This practice, known as desiccation, can help farmers harvest crops earlier and in more favorable conditions, especially in regions with short growing seasons or wet conditions. Glyphosate is typically applied one to two weeks before harvest, when the wheat grain moisture content is below 30%. Glyphosate kills the plant tissue, effectively stopping the plant from drawing moisture from the grain. The USA applies glyphosate to wheat primarily for weed control in no-till systems (30% of acres) with pre-harvest desiccation being rare (2% of acres). Canada relies heavily on glyphosate for pre-harvest desiccation (90–95% of acres), driven by short, wet growing seasons. This leads to higher residue levels in Canadian wheat products, though milling reduces exposure in both countries. Both Canada and USA deem residues safe, but Canada faces greater public and environmental scrutiny. Economic and climatic factors drive these differences, with Canada’s practices more entrenched due to agricultural necessity. It will be interesting to see if Kennedy wades into this area of public health.