Glyphosate: What a fate

ROUNDUP is the most popular glyphosate-basedherbicide (GBH) mixture globally. Around 6.1 billion kilos of GBHs were sprayed worldwide from 2005 to 2014, and over 500 GBH brews are registered in Australia for diverse land management purposes.

Genetically manipulated, glyphosate- tolerant crops - soybean, corn, canola, cotton and sugar beet - accelerated its use. Desiccating crops before harvest with GBHs, to defoliate and kill the plants, also leaves residues in food and the environment.

As a result of new evidence and US court cases awarding multi-millions for GBH harm, many local councils worldwide are adopting non- toxic weed control methods to replace GBHs and other toxics. Over 50 of Australia’s 547 councils are already in the process of change. Austria and Vietnam now ban Roundup, and France restricts its sale. Pro forma petitions to local councils are available for download and use at http://www.geneethics.org/resource/ index/1

Evidence of harm

In March 2015, the World Health Organisation’s expert International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) upgraded glyphosate’s risk status from a 2B (possible) to 2A (probable) human carcinogen. 1 They systematically assessed about 1,000 peer-reviewed, published and pertinent studies, especially on workplace GBH exposure and experimental cancer-related data.

IARC found glyphosate and GBHs are genotoxic so, ‘ can be responsible . . . in the onset and/or progression of . . . cancer, diabetes, metabolic disorders, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases.’ 2 The evidence on genotoxicity was for both ‘pure’ glyphosate and glyphosate formulations. 3

IARC’s assessment triggered three court cases against Monsanto in 2018 where plaintiffs held GBH exposure responsible for their Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL) cancers. Juries found in favour of all five plaintiffs - DeWayne Johnson, Hardemans and Pilliods - married couples. All have NHL after extended use of GBHs. All had believed Monsanto’s claims that the chemicals were safe. 4 Juries awarded $78.5 million, $80 million and $2.05 billion against Monsanto, respectively. On appeal, the judge has offered Alva and Alberta Pilliod $56,005,830.

The 900 plaintiffs registered with the California court are in mediation with Bayer/Monsanto. 5

There are 18,400 US plaintiffs suing Bayer as it now owns Monsanto. Follow the progress of the US GBH litigation online at Attorneys Baum Hedlund Law, 6 US Right to Know Trial Tracker, 7 and Roundup Products Liability Litigation News. 8

In Australia, our farm chemical regulator, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), approved glyphosate but this, “is not a bar to litigation and there is a possibility of claims, including possible class actions, based on similar premises to the ongoing US