US Federal Court Asks For Proof That The World’s Most Used Pesticide Is Safe

A federal court hearing on Monday in San Francisco will turn the public’s attention to the science involving the safety of one of the most used pesticide worldwide – glyphosate that has been associated with cancer. It is found in water and daily foods and is present in our body fluids as well. In the account of all the health and environment problems associated with this pesticide, people would be pushed to pay attention.

Glyphosate gets billion dollars of revenue for companies like Monsanto since it is the active ingredient in hundreds of pesticides. It helps farmers in food production.

It also relieves public parks and playgrounds from weed. It is preferred in homes for keeping lawns neat.

However, glyphosate was termed a likely cause of cancer by cancer experts of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the year 2015. Since then, the research made Monsanto the target for liability lawsuits.

The debate over the pesticide’s safety has started a propaganda clash between the two sides claiming that the other party had put forward wrong scientific records.

The people living with cancer blamed Monsanto for keeping unauthenticated and fake research review to prove that glyphosate is safe. On the other hand, Monsanto claims international scientists to be false and politically motivated. It further explained that the pesticide is entirely safe if used how it is meant to be used.

This week will be the first time that scientific research and corporate files will be examined for the public to see.

It is not a vain practice. Real lives are at risk due to the health issues related to it. The statistics suggest that one in every two men and one in every three women are considered to have cancer. Child cancers are increasing too.

Due to pesticides, adults are susceptible to lymphoma, prostate, brain and other cancers and children are at risk of cancer and behavioural problems as well. More than 3000 lawsuits had been filed against Monsanto claiming that its glyphosate-based roundup is the source of their family members being treated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Monsanto has tried to convince the US judge Vince Chhabria to throw the lawsuits and to keep the internal documents hidden. However, Chhabria demanded the hearing to be recorded and shared on the internet.

He has instructed the claimants to explore claims like accurate records being written by unknown in the open court. He also laid focus on the 1983 study on the same.

Since the events happening from March 5 to March 9 be directed by experts in cancer studies, the court has deemed it as “science week”. There will be two sides presenting their scientific proof for their claims.

Monsanto with the help of allies has been operating to invalidate others including cancer scientists that are a danger to it.

This struggle was illuminated when the House committee members on science, space and technology held a proceeding on February 6 in Washington to transmit the complaints about the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s (IARC) claim of glyphosate as a likely cause of cancer and portending to remove funding from the scientific body.

The chemical industry applauded the committee’s effort that turned the war on cancer to war on cancer science.

Monsanto along with other agricultural organisations has filed legal action against California to cease environmental groups from obligatory cancer warning on glyphosate products. They also won a decree blocking such notice.

This debate over glyphosate is an instance of how the industry does not focus on studying the scientific proofs rather they make sure to demean the offending science by all means possible.

The expert testimony put out by Monsanto permeated pesticide for the public will help in differentiating science from bias.