Chemical company Monsanto, owned by chemical group Bayer since 2018, must pay 1.5 billion dollars (1.37 billion euros) to three Americans who say they have developed cancer as a result of years of using the controversial weed killer Roundup. A judge in the American state of Missouri determined this on Friday. The fine belongs according to Bloomberg news agency among the highest imposed on companies this year.
According to the three Americans, they have developed non-Hodgekin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph nodes, as a result of years of gardening using Roundup. The controversial active ingredient in it, glyphosate, “probably” causes cancer according to the World Health Organization WHO, but this has still not been conclusively proven scientifically. Bayer maintains that the drug does not cause any harm when used correctly.
100,000 lawsuits
The European Commission recently extended the authorization of glyphosate on the European market for ten years. In a statement after the lawsuit in Missouri, Bayer pointed out that the US federal environmental agency EPA also considers its use safe. The company will appeal.
Bayer acquired Monsanto in 2018 for 63 billion dollars (57.7 billion euros). In doing so, it also inherited the numerous lawsuits filed by Roundup users. In 2021, Bayer set aside $16 billion (14.6 billion euros) to settle more than 100,000 lawsuits over Roundup.