The withdrawal of the “research study” that since 2000 denied the health risks of glyphosate has shaken the powerful global agribusiness.

On November 28, the scientific journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology announced the removal of that article from its archives, due to “several critical issues that are considered to undermine the academic integrity” of the text and its conclusions.

The document, published in April 2000, concluded that the herbicide “was safe.” It was one of the most influential texts used by the giant Monsanto—creator of the herbicide and acquired in 2018 by the German multinational Bayer—to defend the product against the debate surrounding its potential harm to health and biodiversity. It became a cornerstone of many nations’ pesticide policies.

Experts on the subject consulted by La Jornada emphasize that, following the retraction of the article, governments around the world must immediately reevaluate the use of this herbicide, which, although effective for weed control in crops, was classified in 2015 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization as a possible carcinogen for humans.

Peter Clausing, a member of the German Pesticide Action Network, emphasizes: “It should have been banned a long time ago.”

Silvia Ribeiro, head of programs in Mexico for the Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration, agrees, stating that although the text was withdrawn “late,” it is still significant that the scientific journal did so.

Due to health risks, several countries have banned or partially restricted the use of herbicides containing glyphosate. Vietnam is the only nation that has completely banned it, while the Netherlands, Belgium, and France have restricted its use in domestic settings.

Its use in public spaces is prohibited in Germany and Italy. Regulations also exist to limit its use under certain conditions in Bermuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Sri Lanka.

In the Americas, Colombia and El Salvador had total bans, which were later revoked. In Argentina, restrictions exist in certain provinces.

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the world. It was introduced to the market in 1974 by Monsanto under the name Roundup. Its use became global in the 1990s and, starting in 1996, increased by 1,500 percent due to the planting of genetically modified corn, cotton, and soybeans.

It has been a pillar of the sector’s multimillion-dollar profits. In 2023, it reached $6.21 billion, and the compound annual growth rate is estimated to be over 4.5 percent between 2024 and 2032.

The herbicide controls unwanted plants and weeds. Its cost varies between four and 20 dollars per gallon, depending on the brand, concentration of the active ingredient, and region.

Its patent was released in 2002, so it can now be manufactured by any laboratory; however, Bayer-Monsanto has monopolized its marketing.

Faced with the debate surrounding the health risks—with thousands of documented cases in different countries resulting in multimillion-dollar lawsuits—alternatives have been sought to replace it. However, to date, no option exists that offers the same effects at a similar cost.

The retracted study has been shown to have been signed by ghost authors, hired and paid by Monsanto. The company, now part of Bayer, has been known for this type of conduct, among other practices.

Ribeiro points out that the agribusiness firm “has been responsible for building supposed evidence based on false arguments.”

Several years ago, as a result of the more than 100,000 lawsuits the corporation faces in the United States for serious health damage to thousands of people, the declassification of a set of internal documents known as the Monsanto Papers was ordered , revealing its tactics to influence the publication of scientific studies related to the safety of the herbicide.

In addition, in September of this year, scientists Alexander A. Kaurov and Naomi Oreskes published an article showing that the 2000 text – signed by Gary M. Williams, Robert Kroes and Ian C. Munro – was actually prepared by Monsanto to support claims about the safety of glyphosate.

After a meticulous analysis of the aforementioned study—which for years was a kind of bible for proponents of the herbicide—Kaurov and Oreskes conclude that corporate ghostwriting “is a form of scientific fraud. When these articles circulate, they undermine the integrity of scientific research and policy decisions based wholly or partially on that research.”

Ana de Ita, director of the Center for Studies on Change in the Mexican Countryside, points out that Monsanto—and now Bayer—“is a very deceitful company that only looks out for its profit interests,” regardless of the risks it poses to public health and the balance of biodiversity. She notes that the retracted study was the reference point upon which many countries around the world based their pesticide safety policies.

Clausing, for his part, states: “The most serious and complex abuse is the unjustified dismissal of numerous academic studies that support the claim that glyphosate is neurotoxic, genotoxic, and carcinogenic. Articles written by ghost authors, such as Williams’s, are part of the tools used to dismiss research that ‘disrupts’ the authorities’ assessment.”

The whole world under threat

Contrary to Bayer-Monsanto’s defense, studies from research institutes and universities have indicated that glyphosate is a highly toxic and harmful chemical not only to human health, but also to the environment, ecological balance, and soil.

An analysis conducted in Mexico by the Postgraduate College detected glyphosate residues in vultures, quail, pigeons, and some mammals. Meanwhile, the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires investigated its effects on bees and found alterations in larval development and in the gut flora of adult bees.

In humans, various scientific studies have shown that it can cause skin and eye irritation, dizziness, nausea, respiratory problems, and increased blood pressure.

Bayer has denied that the product is carcinogenic. However, faced with thousands of lawsuits in the United States from people who claim its use caused them cancer or other disorders, the company has set aside $4 billion to cover future claims.

“In the United States, 167,000 lawsuits have been filed against Monsanto, now Bayer, which has paid more than $12 billion in out-of-court settlements in about 100,000 cases and still has 67,000 pending,” Ribeiro explains.

On December 2 – four days after the retraction of the pro-glyphosate article – the Donald Trump administration gave a boost to the German multinational by asking the Supreme Court to accept its challenges to the negative verdicts on the herbicide.

The White House backed the company’s arguments for prioritizing U.S. federal herbicide law over state regulations. With the support of the administration, shares of the German chemical and pharmaceutical group surged 12 percent on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, closing at €34.14, their best day in 17 years, according to economic reports.