Bayer’s weedkiller Roundup defends against cancer link – 9,300 cases looming 

By Alec Hogg

During our farming spell, my environmentally-aware wife raised more than a few chuckles among neighbours for her opposition to us using commonplace weedkiller Roundup. She won of course. Happy wife, happy life.

But as in many other aspects of our life, it now appears that Jeanette possessed a far better appreciation of the Roundup reality. Indeed, German chemicals company Bayer must wish it had someone with her conviction around of her ilk around before paying a staggering $63bn nine months ago to buy competitor Monsanto, the maker of Roundup.

The Roundup liability has suddenly become a potentially existential threat to Bayer, which is defending itself in a second trial alleging the weedkiller causes cancer. It began in San Fransisco this week, with lawyers reckoning they can prove that decade long use of Roundup is the reason 70 year old Edwin Hardeman developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The trial follows last August’s judgement by another US court which issued a $289m verdict against Monsanto after finding Roundup responsible for a man’s cancer. Bayer’s share price has lost 30% since that verdict. It says there are 9,300 similar claims. If Hardeman’s lawyers prove their case, Bayer would surely be forced to take Roundup off the market. So what was that about woman’s intuition?

From Biznews community member Mike Mentis

Over my lifetime (73 years) I have come respect Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring.

Nowadays roads departments spend a fortune trying to revegetate roadsides, then they spray with herbicide. Of course I don’t always know what chemical they use, but suspect Roundup or something else containing glyphosate. Result: kills the grass, weeds (often declared alien invaders) not grasses come up, the weeds need control, more herbicide is applied…this is good for business if you are Monsanto or Bayer or other agricultural chemist. But what are we doing to ourselves and the environment?

Interesting that US courts are accepting the allegation that Roundup can cause cancer. But it goes beyond direct biocidal effect. In the early 2000s someone (perhaps Telkom) sprayed one side of the road from Carolina to Badplaas. The Badplaas soils are notoriously erodible. So without a protective plant cover, away went possibly 1000s of tons of topsoil. In the 1970s I ran a wildlife management advisory service for Natal Parks Board. Guinea fowl was the most popular hunting quarry. In good areas like Newcastle and Estcourt (you mentioned those the other day) there was a bird per ha. We researched guinea fowl. They were a by-product of grain cultivation. Lived on insects in summer, grain in early-mid winter, and nutgrass tubers in late winter. Guinea fowl were rare or not present prior to grain cultivation in inland KZN. Now farmers spray their fields with herbicide. That kills the weeds that fed the insects that the guineafowl lived on, and also decimated the nutgrass. Result: guinea fowl populations plummeted.

We sometimes read ‘what would Peter say?’ They are referring to Peter Drucker and how he might analyse and advise on an economic or business issue. In the same vein ‘what would Rachel say?’. Or perhaps what will your wife say?

From Biznews community member Jim Chedzey

Remember that this case that was won in California before a jury. On a recent trip to USA even our bus had a sign up saying that it may cause cancer! My understanding briefly was that the judgement was against Monsanto for not warning users that product MAY cause cancer, and not that it did cause cancer. So if you look around California there are signs all over warning that you may catch cancer from whatever! I think whole foods also has a claim for similar amount because someone says their coffee gave him cancer – good luck to them.

So I don’t think Roundup or glyphosate causes cancer any more than anything else or old age. But this whole thing is about perceptions and the market and is very real and as you said a big threat to Bayer. Don’t know why they bought Monsanto with this cloud hanging over it.

In the early days of gmo, there was a survey done to gain market views on gmo, and one comment that stood out was that ”if the worm won’t eat the apple, why should I”!

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