Tag Archives: Roundup

glyphosate

Bayer Reaches Verbal Deal to Settle Up to 85,000 Roundup Cancer Lawsuits

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Sustainable Pulse - May 25, 2020

Bayer AG has reached verbal agreements to resolve a substantial portion of an estimated 125,000 U.S. cancer lawsuits over use of its Roundup weedkiller, according to people familiar with the negotiations, Fortune reported Monday.

The deals, which have yet to be signed and cover an estimated 50,000 to 85,000 suits, are part of a $10 billion Bayer plan to end a costly legal battle the company inherited when it acquired Monsanto in 2018, the people said. While some lawyers are still holding out, payouts for settled cases will range from a few million dollars to a few thousand each, said the people, who asked not to be identified because they aren’t authorized to speak publicly.

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A surge in Roundup claims, along with some big court losses, have weighed on Bayer since the Leverkusen, Germany-based company spent $63 billion to buy agricultural giant Monsanto — which developed the weedkiller. The shares have dropped about 40% since the deal closed two years ago, wiping out some $39 billion of Bayer’s market value.

More on Fortune.com

In May 2019, after less than two full days of deliberations, a California jury ordered Monsanto to pay just over $2 billion in punitive and compensatory damages to a married couple who both developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma they say was caused by their many years of using glyphosate-based Roundup products.

In March 2019, a unanimous jury in federal court in San Francisco ordered Monsanto to pay roughly $80 million in damages for failing to warn plaintiff Edwin Hardeman of the cancer risks of Roundup herbicide.

In August 2018, jurors in state court in San Francisco ordered Monsanto to pay $289 million  in damages to school groundskeeper Dewayne “Lee” Johnson, who is dying of non-Hodgkin lymphoma the jury found was caused by his exposure to Monsanto’s glyphosate herbicides. The judge in that case lowered the total verdict to $78 million and the verdict is now on appeal.

Evidence laid out in the three trials included numerous scientific studies that showed what plaintiffs’ attorneys said was proof Monsanto’s herbicides can cause non-Hodgkin lymphoma. As well, the attorneys presented jurors with many internal Monsanto communications obtained through court-ordered discovery that show Monsanto has intentionally manipulated the public record to hide the cancer risks.

Among the many revelations that have emerged from the trials:

  • Monsanto never conducted epidemiology studies for Roundup and its other formulations made with the active ingredient glyphosate to evaluate the cancer risks for users.
  • Monsanto spent millions of dollars on covert public relations campaigns to finance ghostwritten studies and articles aimed at discrediting independent scientists whose work found dangers with Monsanto’s herbicides.
  • When the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry sought to evaluate glyphosate toxicity in 2015, Monsanto engaged the assistance of EPA officials to delay that review.
  • Monsanto enjoyed a close relationship with certain officials within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), who have repeatedly backed Monsanto’s assertions about the safety of its glyphosate products.
  • The company internally had worker safety recommendations that called for wearing a full range of protective gear when applying glyphosate herbicides, but did not warn the public to do the same.

Studies have repeatedly linked glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides such as Roundup and Ranger Pro brands, to non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), a type of blood cancer. In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen.

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glyphosate

Canadian Lawyers Launch $500M Class-Action Lawsuit against Roundup Makers

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CBC - Nov 22 2019

Diamond & Diamond, a national personal injury law firm in Canada, is spearheading a $500 million class-action lawsuit against various Roundup makers, including pharmaceutical company Bayer, the owner of Roundup maker Monsanto, CBC reported Thursday.

Bottles of Monsanto Co. Roundup brand herbicide products are arranged for a photograph in Shelbyville, Kentucky, U.S., on Monday, April 4, 2016. Monsanto is scheduled to release earnings figures on April 6. Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Source: CBC.ca

Roundup is a weedkiller that contains glyphosate, a herbicide chemical often used by homeowners to treat their lawns.

There have been many lawsuits filed across North America alleging that glyphosate can cause health problems including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a rare type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system.

In the United States alone, there have been about 42,000 lawsuits filed against the makers of Roundup.

Diamond & Diamond is calling this Canada’s largest class-action lawsuit against Roundup makers. There are currently more than 60 individuals named as plaintiffs, but the firm said they believe thousands may have been affected.

This year, there have already been lawsuits against Roundup manufacturers filed in B.C., Quebec, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. This one would be the first class action in Canada and follows the likes of class-action lawsuits filed in the U.S.

Darryl Singer, the head of commercial and civil litigation at Diamond & Diamond, said the plaintiffs involved in this class-action lawsuit are looking not only for financial compensation, but also what he calls “behaviour modification” so that the same thing doesn’t happen again in the future with other products in Canada.

“If there’s not these lawsuits that force companies like Monsanto to write these big cheques, they have no incentive to change the way they do business,” Singer said.

Singer said the plaintiffs have also been diagnosed with other forms of cancer, like brain and lung cancer, and some of his clients are acting on behalf of an estate. 

“These are not minor injuries,” he said. “Of the [plaintiffs] that are living, some of them are not likely to see the end of this lawsuit because they will pass away before that.”

Bayer Canada said it will “vigorously defend” its products, according to a statement the company provided to CBC News.

“While we have great sympathy for the plaintiffs, glyphosate-based herbicides are not the cause of their illnesses,” the statement said.

“Glyphosate has been extensively studied globally by scientists and regulators, and results from this research confirm it is not carcinogenic. We firmly stand behind the safety of glyphosate-based products and as a company devoted to life sciences, assure Canadians that their health and the environment are our top priority.”

Source: CBC.ca

glyphosate, Toxins

ON CONTACT - The fight for life - Monsanto/Bayer AG (27 min)

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On Contact: Chris Hedges interviews Vandana Shiva, Mar 30, 2019 - 27 min

ON CONTACT - The fight for life v. Monsanto/Bayer AG

This week Monsanto/Bayer AG was ordered by a California federal court to pay $80 million to Edwin Hardeman after a jury found its weed killer, Roundup, caused his cancer. The case is just one of thousands of lawsuits filed against the company over plaintiff’s use of the glyphosate-based herbicide. In 2015, the World Health Organization classified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans. The Food and Drug Administration has concluded the herbicide is not likely carcinogenic to humans. In August 2018, a jury in California state court awarded a school’s groundskeeper, Dewayne Johnson, nearly $289 million in damages. The verdict was later reduced to $78 million and is on appeal. In this conversation with Chris Hedges, environmental activist and author, Vandana Shiva, talks about Monsanto/Bayer AG and other big AG players interests in India and her fight to protect life forms, seed varieties and farmers.

VIDEO Interview 27 min

GMO's

Glyphosate Found in All 5 Major Orange Juice Brands Tested

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Return to Now - Feb 12, 2019

The most-consumed fruit juice in America comes along with a toxic dose of glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto’s cancer-causing Roundup herbicide.

The news comes on the heels of the recent discovery of glyphosate in popular children cereals.

Testing commissioned by the grassroots activist group Moms Across America reveals glyphosate levels from 6 to 26 parts per billion in the five top selling orange juice brands in the United States.

While the EPA allows glyphosate residue levels up to 30 parts per million on citrus, Moms Across America founder Zen Honeycutt argues the agency’s standards aren’t up to date with modern science.

A 2012 study shows glyphosate levels as low as 100 parts per billion destroy beneficial gut bacteria, weakening the immune system and potentially creating a wide variety of health and neurological issues.

RELATED: We’re Not Gluten Intolerant, We’re Glyphosate Intolerant

A 2013 study found glyphosate levels as low as 1 part per trillion (the equivalent of one drop of water in 22 olympic swimming pools) can stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells.

Additionally, a 2014 study found that glyphosate bioaccumulates in bone marrow, which might explain it’s link to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

If a child is eating a bowl of Cheerios with glyphosate levels of 530 ppb, plus an not-yet-determined amount in his milk (cows eat grains soaked in glyphosate), adding a glass of O.J., with as much as 26 ppb, can’t make matters better.

The brands tested were:

Tropicana (26 ppb)

Minute Maid (14 ppb)

Signature Farms (6 ppb)

Kirkland (6 ppb)

Stater Bros (5 ppb)

The full report by Health Research Institute Laboratories can be seen here.

Glyphosate can be largely avoided by going organic.

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glyphosate, GMO's

French Court Cancels Monsanto Weedkiller Permit on Safety Grounds

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Sustainable Pulse - Jan 16, 2019

A French court cancelled the licence for one of Monsanto’s glyphosate-based weedkillers on Tuesday over safety concerns, placing an immediate ban on Roundup Pro 360 in the latest legal blow to the Bayer-owned business, Reuters reported Tuesday.

Germany’s Bayer, which bought Monsanto for $63 billion last year, faces thousands of U.S. lawsuits by people who say its Roundup and Ranger Pro products caused their cancer.

A court in Lyon in southeast France ruled that the approval granted by French environment agency ANSES in 2017 for Roundup Pro 360 had failed to take into account potential health risks.

Bayer, which said it disagreed with the decision and was considering its legal options, has cited regulatory rulings as well as scientific studies that found glyphosate to be safe.

Glyphosate Box

Glyphosate Residue Free Certification for Food Brands – Click Here

Test Your Food and Water at Home for Glyphosate – Click Here

Test Your Hair for Glyphosate and other Pesticides – Click Here to Find Our Your Long-Term Exposure

The firm is appealing a first U.S. court ruling that awarded $78 million in damages to a school groundskeeper from California.

“Bayer disagrees with the decision taken by the Administrative Court of Lyon to cancel the marketing authorization for RoundUp Pro 360,” it said in a statement.

“This product formulation, like all crop protection products, has been subject to a strict evaluation by the French authorities (ANSES), an independent body and guarantor of the public health security.”

Glyphosate, which is off-patent and marketed worldwide by dozens of other chemical groups including Syngenta and DowDuPont’s Corteva Agriscience, is due to be phased out in France within three years under a pledge by President Emmanuel Macron, who stopped short of an outright ban.

The French court said ANSES had not respected a precautionary principle in French law, notably by not conducting a specific evaluation of health risks for Roundup Pro 360.

“Despite the European Union’s approval of the active substance (glyphosate), the court considered that scientific studies and animal experiments showed Roundup Pro 360 … is a potentially carcinogenic product for humans, suspected of being toxic for human reproduction and for aquatic organisms,” the court said in a summary of its ruling.

Bernstein analysts said in a note that the financial impact on Bayer of banning RoundUp Pro 360 in France would likely be limited, given it concerned one product in a market for glyphosate-based weedkillers worth around 40 million euros.

The World Health Organisation’s cancer agency concluded in 2015 that glyphosate was probably carcinogenic, an assessment cited by the French court in Tuesday’s ruling.

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glyphosate, GMO's

Weedkiller Products More Toxic than Their Active Ingredient, Tests Show

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US government researchers have uncovered evidence that some popular weedkilling products, like Monsanto’s widely-used Roundup, are potentially more toxic to human cells than their active ingredient is by itself.

These “formulated” weedkillers are commonly used in agriculture, leaving residues in food and water, as well as public spaces such as golf courses, parks and children’s playgrounds.

The tests are part of the US National Toxicology Program’s (NTP) first-ever examination of herbicide formulations made with the active ingredient glyphosate, but that also include other chemicals. While regulators have previously required extensive testing of glyphosate in isolation, government scientists have not fully examined the toxicity of the more complex products sold to consumers, farmers and others.

1o Things You Need to Know about Glyphosate

Monsanto introduced its glyphosate-based Roundup brand in 1974. But it is only now, after more than 40 years of widespread use, that the government is investigating the toxicity of “glyphosate-based herbicides” on human cells.

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