Roundup, a household name, is the most popular and profitable weed killer ever sold. It uses glyphosate as its most active ingredient. Monsanto developed the product. Because glyphosate kills anything it touches, Monsanto then developed plant seeds that were genetically modified to resist the damage of Roundup. This is when residential Roundup sales skyrocketed tenfold.
As its use became more widespread, science questioned the safety of glyphosate. Studies have shown that glyphosate might cause illness to humans and damage to the environment. Other studies have flatly accused the chemical of causing cancer.
In 2015, after an independent reassessment, the WHO (World Health Organization) and IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) raised the danger warning for glyphosate to “probably carcinogenic” to humans rather than “possibly carcinogenic,” the earlier classification.
A study from the University of Washington found that exposure to glyphosate increased an individual’s risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma by 41%.
Bayer purchased Monsanto in 2018.
As of summer 2022, Bayer had already settled over 100,000 Roundup lawsuits, paying out about $11 billion and setting aside $4.5 billion in a reserve to cover thousands of future payouts. Analysts say it won’t be enough.
There are still 30,000 lawsuits pending and there is still time to bring forward your claim, although the window to do so is shortening.
Since the Supreme Court rulings in June, Monsanto has announced it will reformulate Roundup with a new active ingredient and cease using glyphosate by 2023. The new ingredient is so far undisclosed. Health/environmental activists are insistent that large retailers like Home Depot and Lowe’s should not wait until 2023, but remove existing Roundup with glyphosate from shelves now.