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What Would Happen If We Banned RoundUp?
Monsanto has lost the public opinion battle, but are we failing to ask important questions?
Bayer got a raw deal when they bought chemical maker Monsanto in June. A few months after the deal closed, a jury found the newly acquired company’s flagship product, RoundUp, caused a San Francisco school groundskeeper to develop cancer. Bayer was ordered to pay the man nearly $300 million. While this case will likely be tied up in appeals for some time, the verdict seemed to solidify the public opinion that Monsanto is the devil incarnate.
At the heart of this long-running public relations disaster for Monsanto is the chemical glyphosate. It’s the active ingredient in RoundUp.
Despite many studies over many years showing that glyphosate is not dangerous to humans, opinion about the chemical’s safety seems steadfastly skeptical and negative. Fueling these doubts are recent revelations that researchers who conducted some of the studies that found glyphosate to be safe failed to disclose funding received from Monsanto.
Long and ugly court battles will predictably play out before Monsanto’s current turmoil is resolved, and it’s very possible there may be no hope in restoring public opinion on RoundUp.
