Monsanto controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
2019
Australian farmer sues Monsanto over Roundup
Lawsuit filed
NSW farmer Ross Wild filed a lawsuit against Monsanto, alleging that long-term exposure to Roundup caused his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and that product warnings were inadequate. Bayer Australia said the scientific evidence supported the conclusion that Roundup did not cause the disease.
Company response
Denial — Bayer Australia
In a statement, Bayer Australia said it had great sympathy for any individual with cancer, but the "extensive body of science" on glyphosate-based herbicides supported the conclusion that Roundup did not cause non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Source excerpt
Mr Carbone said the warnings on Roundup bottles were inadequate and his client's clothes and body had been "drenched" in the herbicide over a 40-year period of use.
Mr Wild's case was lodged with the Victorian Supreme Court earlier this week.
Last year, Mr Wild was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and he claims long-term exposure to Roundup's active ingredient, glyphosate, is to blame.
2019
Brazilian court rules in Monsanto seed-royalty dispute
Ruling
Brazil's appeals court ruled against Brazilian farmers' unions, holding that farmers cannot save seeds for replanting when the seeds are harvested from Monsanto's patented Roundup Ready soybeans. Monsanto said the decision would strengthen agricultural innovation in Brazil.
Source excerpt
The Brazilian appeals court’s Oct. 9 decision reverses a past ruling establishing the rights of small farmers in Brazil.
The court’s nine justices unanimously ruled on Oct. 9 that farmers cannot save seeds for replanting if the seeds are harvested from Monsanto’s patented Roundup Ready soybeans
In a public statement, Monsanto – which was acquired by Bayer in 2018 – said the decision will strengthen “agricultural innovation in Brazil.”
2018
Roundup cancer litigation
Lawsuits alleged that exposure to Roundup caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma and that Monsanto failed to provide adequate warnings. Jury verdicts and continuing settlements created substantial legal and reputational challenges for Bayer after the acquisition.
2018
Dicamba litigation and crop-damage disputes
Monsanto’s dicamba-related products became associated with disputes over alleged off-target drift, crop damage, and regulatory approval. The controversy continued after Bayer acquired the company.
1977
PCB contamination and liability
Monsanto stopped producing PCBs in 1977, but contamination associated with earlier production and the later corporate separation of Solutia generated decades of environmental claims and litigation.
1970
DDT environmental controversy
Monsanto manufactured DDT before the insecticide was prohibited in the United States in 1972 because of environmental and ecological concerns.
1970
Agent Orange controversy
Monsanto was among the manufacturers of Agent Orange supplied to the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. Veterans and others later pursued claims concerning exposure and related health effects.