Monsanto Facing Lawsuits for Glyphosate Exposure

Written by Tyler R. Etter

Two lawsuits have been brought against Monsanto, alleging that the company’s herbicide Roundup (glyphosate) caused their cancers. The suits have been filed in federal court in New York and California.

The complaints state that Monsanto has misled consumers regarding the safety of their herbicide, and are seeking punitive damages for harm caused by exposure to the products. Both complaints cite the recent report by the United Nation’s World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IRAC) report about the safety of glyphosate. The IRACreport listed glyphosate as potentially carcinogenic to humans. The complaints allege that this report is proof that Monsanto has been misrepresenting the safety of glyphosate to consumers.

Monsanto has called the suits baseless, and claims that the IRAC report is unwarranted and misleading. The company cites more than 30 years of research and safety reviews from around the world that found glyphosate safe, when used as instructed.

The claims alleged are broad, based in strict liability, negligence, and failure to warn. The plaintiffs claim that Monsanto has known for decades that the products were unsafe, and concealed this information from the public. They want the case to be decided by a jury, as they feel punitive damages are appropriate for Monsanto’s actions.