Two organisations file lawsuit against Monsanto for 'misleading' public

The organisations have sued Monsanto over "misleading" labeling
The organisations have sued Monsanto over "misleading" labeling

Two non-profit organisations have filed a lawsuit against Monsanto for "misleading" the public.

Beyond Pesticides and the Organic Consumers Association have said Monsanto labels its popular weedkiller Roundup as “target[ing] an enzyme found in plants but not in people or pets.”

But both organisations claim this statement is "false, deceptive, and misleading".

They said the enzyme targeted by glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is found in people and pets.

Beyond Pesticides and Organic Consumers Association (OCA), through their attorneys, Richman Law Group, filed jointly on behalf of the general public in Washington D.C. under the District of Columbia’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act.

'High standard'

“The unequivocal nature of Monsanto’s label claim on Roundup belies the complexity of human biology and the impact this highly toxic chemical has on the functioning of the human gut bacteria, essential to our health,” said Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides.

“With this claim, Monsanto is falsely telling the public that its product cannot hurt them,” he said.

“Corporations must be held to a high standard when it comes to the information they include on product labels, especially when it comes to the issue of safety,” said Ronnie Cummins, OCA’s international director.

“For decades, Monsanto has used false labeling claims to dupe consumers into believing that they can spray Roundup on their yards and in their gardens, without risk to themselves, their children or their pets. It’s time for the courts to step in.”

'Not carcinogenic'

However, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) last month (15 March) classified glyphosate as “not carcinogenic”.

The Crop Protection Association (CPA) Chief Executive Sarah Mukherjee said glyphosate 'is and always has been safe'.

She said: “This ruling is another reminder this debate has never really been about safety, it has been hijacked and politicised to force a wider debate on modern agriculture. It’s right that we’re having that debate, but it’s wrong to use health scares to get there.

“Glyphosate is an essential part of the farmer’s toolkit, helping them to tackle pests and produce healthy and safe food. Over 40 years of robust scientific evidence, supported by one of the most extensive human health, crop residue and environmental databases ever compiled on any pesticide shows no risk to safety, clearly the Commission should reauthorise glyphosate for the standard 15 year period”.

Petition

A petition has been created to help stop the removal of glyphosate as a result of "anti farming groups spreading false science and misinformation" to the wider non-farming public.

On social media, the hashtag #glyphosateisvital has been trending on Twitter as farmers and those in the agricultural business sent messages to the wide-public about the benefits of keeping glyphosate legal.

Glyphosate is coming up to potential re-authorisation by 31 December 2017, when the European Commission decides its fate.