The Roundup Lawsuit Conjures Widespread Public Concern but Will the World Take Heed?
Over 11,000 lawsuits are now pending against Bayer, the new owner of Monsanto and Roundup.
Millions of dollars were paid out in a Roundup lawsuit in 2018. Since then, the dangers of the weed killer and its primary ingredient glyphosate have unraveled. Resulting in more lawsuits, and more million dollar payouts.
Despite mounting evidence and that all point to Roundup’s fatal effects on humans and animals, the company is standing their ground.
But so is the public. Many are speaking out against Roundup, and cities, states, and countries are banning the use of Roundup and glyphosate. So how is the market faring? Here’s what to come from the world’s number one weed killer.
What’s Wrong with Roundup?
Before the future of the weed killer can be predicted, it’s important to understand the product’s past.
Roundup’s past is complicated at best. It’s been known as a carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) since the mid-1980s. But after a Monsanto executive was given a director title, negative labels were quickly reversed.
It wasn’t until about seven years ago that research against its primary ingredient, glyphosate, became nearly indisputable public knowledge.
How to Avoid Foods Tainted by Glyphosate
Since then, a laundry list of ailments has been linked to glyphosate. Some of the most shocking being:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
- Diabetes
- Leukemia
- Reproductive problems
- Myeloma
- Liver disease
- Lung, prostate, brain cancers
- Hormone disorders
- Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS)
And these are only a few of the health issues that glyphosate has been proven to cause. So it’s not surprising that once this information was released, people who had been exposed to Roundup and were suffering from the issues above, began to connect the dots.
Understanding the Roundup Lawsuit
In less than a year, public knowledge of Roundup and Monsanto has exploded. Collectively the world is taking a second-look at glyphosate.
This is primarily due to the highly publicized lawsuits that have hit the company since 2018.
There are currently 11,200 lawsuits filed against Monsanto. All claim that Roundup has caused them life-altering and fatal diseases.
In the fall of 2018, one California man was awarded $239 million by a jury. The man has non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and spent his life working with Roundup. Although the payout has since been reduced to $78 million, it’s still a big hit for the company.
In March 2019, another California man who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after working with Roundup for decades was awarded $80 million.
While these two cases alone won’t put the global, billion dollar company out of business. Thousands of lawsuits might.
Alternatively, these headline-making lawsuits are changing the public’s acceptance of the product is changing.
Shortly after the second lawsuit verdict was made, shares of Bayer AG, the company that purchased Monsanto (more on that below) dropped by 9.6%.
The Future of Roundup
Monsanto did its homework.
In 2018 they merged with pharmaceuticals and chemicals behemoth, Bayer. Shedding the Monsanto name, Bayer is now the world’s “most powerful agribusiness.”
Now, Roundup is backed by more money. Which makes it harder to combat.
At this point, the only way to really make an impact on the company would be to change the regulations involving the chemical glyphosate.
Unfortunately, the scientific research, evidence in lawsuits, and the fact that Monsanto is the same company that created Agent Orange during the Vietnam War aren’t enough for the federal government to change policy.
Much of the chemical industry is in bed with Washington, making this an incredibly tricky issue to navigate at a federal level in America.
But local governments are taking action.
California was the first state to issue a warning about glyphosate. With many cities within The Golden State placing their own bans and restrictions.
Other states like Hawaii, New York, and New Jersey have released state-wide limitations on the chemical. While cities like Tucson, Arizona; Miami, Florida; Boulder, Colorado; Chicago, Illinois; Charlottesville, Virginia; Minneapolis, Minnesota and Austin, Texas have all taken their own action against the use of glyphosate.
On a global scale, dozens of countries have outright banned or set restrictions on the use of glyphosate. Some countries include Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany (where Bayer is headquartered), New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
But dangers still persist. Mainly for workers in the agricultural industry.
What Does the Future Hold for the World’s Number One Weed Killer?
Even though nearly every Roundup lawsuit points to glyphosate causing cancer and other diseases.
The claims against Roundup not only say the product causes harm, but that the company knows it causes harm, but continues to sell the weed killer anyways.
Bayer not only denies the claims, but manipulates data and scientific research to back its product.
Bayer plans to appeal the lawsuits made against Roundup.
The only real way to battle the now chemical, pharmaceutical, and genetically modified food giant, is in the courtroom.
Whether it be amongst local government, making policies to ban and restrict the use of the chemical. Or if individuals continue to stand tall and fight the fight, as they’ve been doing.
It’s clear that the public not only in America but the world shares concern and a generally negative outlook toward the product. It’s just a matter of if people are willing to do the necessary work to make a difference.
We know that Roundup cannot be stopped at a federal level right now. But states and cities can make changes.
Want to join the fight? Have questions about Roundup and glyphosate? Do you think exposure to the chemical has resulted in you acquiring a life-altering or fatal disease? Contact us!