Despite cancer link, many farmers still use Roundup

If you are a farmer in the South, it’s quite likely that you have a shed somewhere on your property that is stocked with the glyphosate-laden herbicide, Roundup. The chemical weedkiller was first created and manufactured by Monsanto.

But back in 2018, the German-owned Bayer forked over $63 million to purchase the company. What they also took on with that purchase was the tens of thousands of lawsuits against the company alleging that the glyphosate in Roundup caused farmers’ cancer.

Many farmers remain undaunted

Farmers all over the country, including some here in North Carolina, have vowed to continue spraying their fields with the weedkiller despite the multimillion dollar plaintiff verdicts that conclude the herbicide caused cancer.

Their reason? Roundup with glyphosate does what they need it to do — kill weeds and increase crop yields of alfalfa, soybeans and corn.

Company sales remain brisk

Bayer appears to be betting the proverbial farm on the farmers’ continued use of its controversial product. They still view Roundup as a cash cow, despite making payouts in the billions to settle legal claims.

Weeds die and crops thrive

The product is effective in targeting the weeds that choke out the crops while crops like soybeans remain 94% resistant to the active ingredient. Corn and cotton crops fare nearly as well, at about 90% survival rate while weeds remain decimated.

Shareholders nervous

But not all are so sanguine about the continued litigation. Shareholders, concerned about an almost 40% drop in value, this spring returned a no-confidence vote regarding the company’s chief executive.

What is the big picture here? Investors appear to be playing the long game, biding their time until this spate of litigation dies down. And there is no doubt that the global need for food production will remain strong in the future.

Did you get cancer from Roundup?

Of course, even these farmers who remain bullish about their use of the herbicide are only a cancer diagnosis away from potentially filing their own lawsuits against the chemical company behemoth. Facing chemo infusions, radiation and major surgery has a way of taking the starch out of even the staunchest Roundup-using farmers. If you believe that your cancer diagnosis is linked to your years of farming with Roundup, you may want to learn more about your options to seek compensation.