Monsanto Rejects Finding That Roundup Herbicide Is Carcinogenic

When the World Health Organization said Roundup is a carcinogen, manufacturer Monsanto said their studies were biased, incomplete, and below standard.
Monsanto Rejects Finding That Roundup Herbicide Is Carcinogenic
A machine at the Monsanto headquarters is used to test various dosages of Round Up herbicide on weed seedlings grown in a biotechnology lab in St Louis, Mo., on May 21, 2009. Brent Stirton/Getty Images.
Mary Silver
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The World Health Organization said Monsanto’s widely used herbicide Roundup is a carcinogen. The label raises new questions, both about industrial farming practices and about an aerial spraying program in Colombia meant to eradicate cocaine plants. Monsanto has rejected the finding.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a French-based research arm of the World Health Organization, on March 20 reclassified glyphosate as a carcinogen. The agency cited what it called convincing evidence that the herbicide produces cancer in lab animals and more limited findings that it causes non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in humans.

In Colombia, the United States pays for aerial spraying of glyphosate on coca crops. More than 4 million acres have been sprayed.

A police officer sprays herbicide over a coca plant during a campaign to eradicate coca crops in La Espriella, Colombia, on March 7, 2009.(AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
A police officer sprays herbicide over a coca plant during a campaign to eradicate coca crops in La Espriella, Colombia, on March 7, 2009.AP Photo/Fernando Vergara
Mary Silver
Mary Silver
Author
Mary Silver writes columns, grows herbs, hikes, and admires the sky. She likes critters, and thinks the best part of being a journalist is learning new stuff all the time. She has a Masters from Emory University, serves on the board of the Georgia chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, and belongs to the Association of Health Care Journalists.
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