Bay Area Man vs. Monsanto: First Trial Over Roundup Cancer Claims Set to Begin

By Carey Gillam Dewayne “Lee” Johnson has led what many might call an unremarkable life. The 46-year-old father and husband spent several years working as a school groundskeeper and spending free time teaching his two young sons to play football. But this week he takes center stage in a global debate over the safety of ... Bay Area Man vs. Monsanto: First Trial Over Roundup Cancer Claims Set to Begin

What’s in Roundup? Internal EPA Documents Show Scramble for Data

By Carey Gillam As agrochemical giant  Monsanto Co.  faces a growing wave of U.S. lawsuits over its top-selling  Roundup herbicide line, among its key defense arguments is that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has long backed the safety of the weed-killing products. And indeed, the EPA has been a stalwart supporter of Monsanto Co.’s ... What’s in Roundup? Internal EPA Documents Show Scramble for Data

Tracking the Trump administration’s favors to the pesticide industry

Over the past 18 months, the Trump administration has delivered a string of victories to the pesticide industry that could reshape pesticide use and public health protections for years to come. 

Glyphosate: Cancer, liver disease, endocrine disruption and other health concerns

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide worldwide. It is linked to cancer, liver and kidney disease, endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity and many other health concerns. First patented by the Monsanto Company, glyphosate is now manufactured and sold by many companies in hundreds of products. It is best known as the active ingredient in Roundup-branded herbicides, ... Glyphosate: Cancer, liver disease, endocrine disruption and other health concerns

Nearly 300 studies link the common pesticide chlorpyrifos to multi-organ damage, DNA disruption, and chronic disease 

Growing evidence suggests chlorpyrifos may damage the brain, hormones, liver, gut microbiome, muscles, reproductive organs, and bones.

Modern Ag Alliance is a Bayer lobbying and PR group

The Modern Ag Alliance, launched by Bayer in 2024, enables the company to lobby and campaign through an entity that looks like a coalition of farm organizations, not a single giant chemical corporation. 

Critiques of Gates Foundation’s agricultural interventions in Africa

Critics say the Gates Foundation's push to expand chemical-intensive monocrop farming in Africa is exacerbating hunger, worsening inequality and entrenching corporate power in the world’s hungriest region.

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to back Bayer again, aided by officials who came from Bayer’s law firms  

The Trump administration yesterday handed Bayer another win, urging the Supreme Court in a new brief to side with the German pesticide company in a high-stakes legal case that could wipe out thousands of cancer lawsuits. Three out of nine U.S. officials who signed the brief previously worked for law firms that have represented Bayer.

Tracing Bayer’s ties to power in Trump’s Washington

Our review of Bayer’s access in Washington found 26 key administration officials with ties to Bayer’s lobbying or legal network. Bayer and its lobbyists have access to people in power at the White House, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency and even those in high level positions closest to Trump.

Landmark glyphosate safety study retracted for Monsanto ghostwriting, other ethics problems

A scientific study that regulators around the world relied on for decades to justify continued approval of glyphosate was quietly retracted last Friday over serious ethical issues including secret authorship by Monsanto employees – raising questions about the pesticide-approval process in the U.S. and globally.  

Atrazine probably causes cancer in humans, WHO cancer agency says

The World Health Organization’s cancer research agency has classified atrazine – the second most widely used herbicide in the United States – as “probably carcinogenic to humans,” adding to growing concerns about toxic exposures in the nation’s farm belt. 

Even tiny doses of glyphosate can cause health problems across generations, new study in mice shows

Even extremely small amounts of the herbicide glyphosate can harm gut health, disrupt metabolism, and change behavior in mice, scientists say. The effects aren't limited to the exposed animals—they pass on to their children and grandchildren.

New scientific methods challenge claims that GMOs and glyphosate are safe

A leading molecular geneticist explains how his research challenges claims that GMOs are “substantially equivalent” to non-GMOs — the foundation of U.S. regulations for GMOs — and how regulators are ignoring modern scientific tests and methods that can help us better understand health risks of GMOs and pesticides.

Are GMOs safe? A molecular geneticist speaks out

Professor Michael Antoniou, head of the Gene Expression and Therapy Group at King’s College London, describes how regulators are ignoring the health risks of stacked-trait GMOs and the combined toxicity of pesticide mixtures.

The PR campaign spinning Tyson’s brazen “climate-smart” beef claims

Producing meat is one of the biggest sources of climate warming gases, and beef is the worst of the bunch, data shows. To clean up their image, leading meat producers including Tyson, one of the largest meat companies in the United States, have hired public relations and advertising firms, mirroring a strategy used by fossil fuel companies. 

Common weedkiller glyphosate may be linked to liver disease epidemic, study warns 

Glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide, may significantly raise the risk of an increasingly common chronic liver disease—even at low exposure levels, according to a new review of more than 40 scientific studies published over the past 17 years.

U.S. Right to Know: Top findings

U.S. Right to Know investigates corporate wrongdoing and government failures that threaten the health of people around the world. Over the past decade, we have obtained and reported on hundreds of thousands of pages of documents that shine light on how corporations and government agencies mislead the public. We share these documents free of charge ... U.S. Right to Know: Top findings

About U.S. Right to Know

U.S. Right to Know is a nonprofit newsroom and public health research group. We investigate and report on corporate wrongdoing and government failures that threaten our health, environment or food system. We produce independent, nonpartisan journalism in the public interest to help keep families healthy. Since 2015, we have obtained and reported on hundreds of thousands ... About U.S. Right to Know

Glyphosate poses widespread risks to female fertility and reproductive health: new research

Glyphosate, the world's most widely used herbicide, disrupts female hormones and damages the ovaries and uterus in ways that can make it more difficult for women to get pregnant, according to a new review of human and animal research. 

Common herbicide glyphosate significantly harms infants’ health in rural areas, new research suggests

Glyphosate, a synthetic herbicide best known as the active ingredient in Roundup®, has significantly harmed the health of babies in rural U.S. communities over the last two decades—especially those already at risk of poor birth outcomes, new research shows.

New scientific analyses underpin Mexico’s restrictions on GM corn and glyphosate due to health risks

A new scientific analysis prepared by Mexico’s National Council for Humanities, Science and Technology, argues there are unacceptable health risks for Mexican people who consume genetically modified corn and glyphosate. 

Pesticide-related PAC money surges into state legislatures as companies seek to limit damage awards in court

As pesticide companies struggle to cap legal payouts to plaintiffs who claim they were injured by Roundup and other products, money from two political committees affiliated with major pesticide manufacturers has surged into state-level politics.

Anatomy of a science meeting: How controversial pesticide research all but vanished from a major conference

At a major conference on insect science, a significant topic went missing: scholarly research on neonicotinoids, a class of insecticides implicated in bee deaths. But corporate sponsors who make the chemicals were well represented.

Monsanto’s campaign against U.S. Right To Know: Read the documents

In 2021, the Society for Professional Journalists, NorCal chapter, honored U.S. Right to Know with the James Madison Freedom of Information Awards for our work obtaining internal corporate documents that showed how Monsanto recruited public university professors to support its PR goals. Concerned that our research would uncover its influence in academic circles, Monsanto “created ... Monsanto’s campaign against U.S. Right To Know: Read the documents

2,4-D: Concerns about cancer and other serious illnesses

Since its introduction in the 1940s, the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) has been widely used to control weeds in agriculture, forestry, and urban and residential settings. According to documents obtained by public records requests, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) forecast sharp increases in the levels of 2,4-D in American food after regulators approved ... 2,4-D: Concerns about cancer and other serious illnesses

Mark Lynas’ inaccurate, deceptive promotions for GMOs and pesticides

Mark Lynas is a former journalist turned public relations advocate for genetically engineered foods and pesticides. He makes inaccurate claims about those products from his perch at the Gates Foundation-funded Cornell Alliance for Science (which has dropped “Cornell” from its name). The Alliance for Science is a PR campaign that trains spokespeople and creates networks ... Mark Lynas’ inaccurate, deceptive promotions for GMOs and pesticides

Gates-funded ‘Alliance for Science’ accused of peddling misinformation

The Alliance for Science is a public relations campaign that trains spokespeople and creates networks of influence, particularly in African countries, to persuade the public and policymakers to accept GMOs and pesticides. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched the effort in 2014 with a $5.6 million grant and has since donated $22 million to ... Gates-funded ‘Alliance for Science’ accused of peddling misinformation

Why did the National Honey Board hire a PR firm that works for the pesticide industry?

As Porter Novelli was downplaying concerns about pesticides in honey for the National Honey Board, the PR firm was also working for Bayer to create a report arguing against pollinator protection laws.

The misleading ways of Dr. Kevin Folta

Kevin Folta, Ph.D., a professor in the Horticulture Sciences Department at University of Florida, has provided inaccurate information and engaged in misleading activities in his efforts to promote genetically engineered foods and pesticides. He is a senior contributing columnist to the Genetic Literacy Project, a chemical industry promotion group that receives funding from Bayer. He ... The misleading ways of Dr. Kevin Folta

UCSF Industry Document Libraries host U.S. Right to Know food and chemical industry collections

U.S. Right to Know collaborates with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), a highly respected medical school, to give the public free access to documents obtained in our ongoing investigations of the ultra-processed food and agrichemical industries. To date, USRTK has donated more than 200,000 pages of industry documents to the UCSF Industry Documents ... UCSF Industry Document Libraries host U.S. Right to Know food and chemical industry collections

How pesticide companies dominate Google News searches

Pesticide companies use stealth tactics to dominate Google News with industry messaging and weaponize the web. Their documents reveal some details about how they do it.

Nutrition Month messaging is good for Big Food’s profits, not for our health  

This month marks the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 50th annual "Nutrition Month." But its messaging leaves us craving science-based advice for healthy eating.

Tracking the pesticide industry propaganda network

Our series of fact sheets shines light on the pesticide industry's hidden propaganda network: the front groups, academics, journalists and others the pesticide companies rely on for their PR and product-defense campaigns.  

Academic Work

U.S. Right to Know is conducting an investigation of the food and agrichemical industries, their influence on media, regulators and policy makers, and their impacts on public health. We have co-authored more than a dozen articles in public health, medical and academic journals, and others have used our work in these journals. Journal articles co-authored ... Academic Work

Russell Brand interview with Stacy Malkan

Russell Brand, the influential comedian, actor and podcaster, featured the work of U.S. Right to Know today in his live show, Stay Free with Russell Brand. You can watch Russell’s interview with our co-founder Stacy Malkan on Rumble. It starts at about 38 minutes in. Here’s the direct link to Rumble. Stacy discussed USRTK’s investigation ... Russell Brand interview with Stacy Malkan

Documents show how Monsanto and Bayer led attacks on scientists, journalists

Internal documents reveal how pesticide firms led attacks on scientists from under the cover of front groups connected to the climate science denial network.

American Council on Science and Health is a corporate front group

The American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) describes itself as a “pro-science consumer advocacy organization” and media outlets often quote the group as an independent science source; however, documents described in this fact sheet establish that ACSH is corporate front group that solicits money from tobacco, chemical, cosmetic, pharmaceutical companies and trade groups in ... American Council on Science and Health is a corporate front group

Henry I. Miller’s long history of science denial and product defense

Five years after a Monsanto ghostwriting scandal prompted Forbes to delete dozens of his articles, Dr. Miller joins the "full-time writing staff" of the corporate front group American Council on Science and Health.

Meet the Merchants of Poison: Front groups Bayer uses to defend glyphosate

Monsanto and Bayer's PR helpers are an industry unto themselves.

Pesticide industry disinformation: What’s at stake? Health, climate, biodiversity

Excerpt from Merchants of Poison report examines the rise of glyphosate and GMOs, and what’s at stake for health, climate and biodiversity.

How academics, universities help pesticide companies with PR and product defense

Read what the Monsanto documents reveal about the key role academics and universities play in pesticide industry product-defense efforts to protect glyphosate and the GMO seeds designed to tolerate the chemical.

Trust in Science? WaPo Live owes its viewers more than PR panels sponsored by Bayer 

Public trust in science has been waning since the start of the pandemic. A 2022 study from the Pew Research Center shows that nearly a quarter of Americans lack confidence in medical scientists – a significant drop from just two years ago. Restoring public faith in science is an urgent and worthy endeavor. Unfortunately, an ... Trust in Science? WaPo Live owes its viewers more than PR panels sponsored by Bayer 

Internal documents reveal pesticide industry science denial and manipulation: glyphosate case study

“It is not an exaggeration to say that in the product defense model, the investigator starts with an answer, then figures out the best way to support it.” David Michaels, The Triumph of Doubt: Dark Money and the Science of Deception _______ The following is an excerpt from Merchants of Poison: How Monsanto Sold the ... Internal documents reveal pesticide industry science denial and manipulation: glyphosate case study

Merchants of Poison reveals pesticide industry disinformation, science denial playbook

Comprehensive review of Monsanto’s product-defense strategy, based on their own documents, reveals the science-denial, attacks on scientists, astroturf operations and other disinformation tactics Bayer and Monsanto used to protect sales of Roundup weed killers. 

Study: IFIC misleads the public about diet, health, ultra-processed food

Widely cited group IFIC "promotes food and beverage company interests and undermines the accurate dissemination of scientific evidence related to diet and health."