Glyphosate Findings Make Organic Practices a Safer Bet
Since glyphosate was introduced in 1974, it has become the most widely used herbicide worldwide. More recently, it has become one of the most hotly debated, regarding food and farming safety. Despite the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) stance on glyphosate safety when applied according to manufacturer’s instructions, thousands of lawsuits against manufacturer Bayer (who in 2018 purchased the original manufacturer, Monsanto) support 2015 findings by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which found a link between glyphosate exposure and cancer. In light of the evidence of cancer risk, organic farming practices are a safer bet for the environment, the farmer, and the consumer.
According to National Public Radio News (NPR) the 2015 findings by IARC were based on three main points. First, IARC found strong evidence that glyphosate can damage DNA in cells which can lead to genetic mutations. Second, mouse studies showed that animals consuming glyphosate had an increase in tumors. Lastly, IARC found evidence linking glyphosate exposure to Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL), a type of cancer. These findings led to several key California state and federal court decisions awarding multi-million-dollar settlements to people exposed to glyphosate and suffering from NHL. Those decisions are currently under appeal.