Monsanto Archives

Tests Show Monsanto Weed Killer in Cheerios, Other Popular Foods

Carey Gillam | November 18, 2016

Independent testing on an array of popular American food products found many samples contained residue levels of the weed killer called glyphosate, leading the nonprofit organization behind the testing to call for corporate and regulatory action to address consumer safety concerns. The herbicide residues were found in cookies, crackers, popular cold cereals and chips commonly … Tests Show Monsanto Weed Killer in Cheerios, Other Popular Foods

Canadians Report Weed Killer Detected in 30 Percent of Food Tested

Carey Gillam | April 12, 2017

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has gone where the U.S. government dares not tread – testing thousands of foods commonly consumed by its citizens for residues of a controversial herbicide linked to cancer. And the findings are less than appetizing. The agency said it found the pesticide known as glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto … Canadians Report Weed Killer Detected in 30 Percent of Food Tested

New ‘Monsanto Papers’ Add To Questions Of Regulatory Collusion, Scientific Mischief

Carey Gillam | August 1, 2017

The other shoe just dropped. Four months after the publication of a batch of internal Monsanto Co. documents stirred international controversy, a new trove of company records was released early Tuesday, providing fresh fuel for a heated global debate over whether or not the agricultural chemical giant suppressed information about the potential dangers of its … New ‘Monsanto Papers’ Add To Questions Of Regulatory Collusion, Scientific Mischief

Monsanto Weed Killer: Scientific Manipulation Revealed

Stacy Malkan | March 17, 2017

Also see: MDL Monsanto Glyphosate Cancer Case Key Documents and Analysisand US Right to Know Sues EPA for Release of Glyphosate Documents By Carey Gillam The puzzle pieces are starting to fall into place, but so far it’s not a pretty picture. A series of internal Monsanto Co. documents revealed this week via a court … Monsanto Weed Killer: Scientific Manipulation Revealed

Monsanto Spin Doctors Target Cancer Scientist In Flawed Reuters Story

Carey Gillam | June 19, 2017

In a well-orchestrated and highly coordinated media coup, Monsanto Co. and friends this week dropped a bombshell on opponents who are seeking to prove that the company’s beloved Roundup herbicide causes cancer. A widely circulated story published June 14 in the global news outlet Reuters (for which I formerly worked) laid out what appeared to … Monsanto Spin Doctors Target Cancer Scientist In Flawed Reuters Story

Monsanto, EPA Seek to Keep Talks Secret On Glyphosate Cancer Review

Stacy Malkan | January 19, 2017

By Carey Gillam Monsanto Co. and officials within the Environmental Protection Agency are fighting legal efforts aimed at exploring Monsanto’s influence over regulatory assessments of the key chemical in the company’s Roundup herbicide, new federal court filings show. The revelations are contained in a series of filings made within the last few days in the … Monsanto, EPA Seek to Keep Talks Secret On Glyphosate Cancer Review

FDA Suspends Testing for Glyphosate Residues in Food

Stacy Malkan | November 11, 2016

By Carey Gillam Government testing for residues of an herbicide that has been linked to cancer has been put on hold, slowing the Food and Drug Administration’s first-ever endeavor to get a handle on just how much of the controversial chemical is making its way into U.S. foods. The FDA, the nation’s chief food safety … FDA Suspends Testing for Glyphosate Residues in Food

FDA Resumes Testing Foods For Weed Killer, Safety Questions Grow

Carey Gillam | June 8, 2017

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has resumed its first-ever endeavor to evaluate how much of a controversial chemical is making its way into the U.S. food supply. And the tests can’t come soon enough as safety concerns about the herbicide known as glyphosate grow. The FDA, the nation’s chief food safety regulator, launched what … FDA Resumes Testing Foods For Weed Killer, Safety Questions Grow

Collusion or Coincidence? Records Show EPA Efforts to Slow Herbicide Review Came in Coordination with Monsanto

Carey Gillam | August 17, 2017

Newly released government email communications show a persistent effort by multiple officials within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to slow a separate federal agency’s safety review of Monsanto’s top-selling herbicide. Notably, the records demonstrate that the EPA efforts came at the behest of Monsanto, and that EPA officials were helpful enough to keep the chemical … Collusion or Coincidence? Records Show EPA Efforts to Slow Herbicide Review Came in Coordination with Monsanto

Monsanto’s fingerprints all over Newsweek’s hit on organic food

Stacy Malkan | January 23, 2018

Update: Newsweek’s bizarre response By Stacy Malkan “The campaign for organic food is a deceitful, expensive scam,” according to a Jan. 19 Newsweek article authored by Dr. Henry I. Miller of the Hoover Institution. If that name sounds familiar – Henry I. Miller – it may be because the New York Times recently revealed a … Monsanto’s fingerprints all over Newsweek’s hit on organic food

The Dicamba Papers: Key documents and analysis

Gary Ruskin | June 20, 2021

Dozens of farmers around the United States are suing the former Monsanto Co., purchased in 2018 by Bayer AG, and conglomerate BASF in an effort to hold the companies accountable for millions of acres of crop damage the farmers claim is due to widespread illegal use of the weed killing chemical dicamba, use promoted by … The Dicamba Papers: Key documents and analysis

Monsanto fingerprints found all over attack on organic food

Stacy Malkan | July 1, 2016

By Stacy Malkan When a reputable-sounding nonprofit organization released a report attacking the organic food industry in April 2014, the group went to great lengths to tout its independence. The 30-page report by Academics Review, described as “a non-profit led by independent academic experts in agriculture and food sciences,” found that consumers were being duped into spending more … Monsanto fingerprints found all over attack on organic food

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

Gary Ruskin | January 18, 2023

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.

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

Stacy Malkan | December 11, 2022

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.

Academics Review: The making of a Monsanto front group to attack the organic industry

Stacy Malkan | May 31, 2018

Academics Review, a nonprofit organization launched in 2012, claimed to be an independent group, but documents obtained by U.S. Right to Know revealed it was a front group, set up with the help of Monsanto executives and public relations operatives, to attack the organic industry and critics of GMOs — while appearing to be independent. … Academics Review: The making of a Monsanto front group to attack the organic industry

Hank Campbell’s maze of Monsanto-loving science blogs

Stacy Malkan | December 6, 2018

Update: As this article was about to publish in December 2018, Hank Campbell was removed from the staff roster of the American Council on Science and Health, the organization he has led as president since July 2015, for unknown reasons. A few days later, he delinked his ring of science blogs (Science 2.0, Science Codex, … Hank Campbell’s maze of Monsanto-loving science blogs

GMO Answers is a marketing campaign funded by pesticide companies

Stacy Malkan | August 31, 2020

GMO Answers is billed as a forum where consumers can get straight answers from independent experts about genetically engineered foods (GMOs) and pesticides. Some journalists have taken it seriously as an unbiased source. But the evidence shows that GMO Answer is an industry funded marketing tool to spin GMOs in a positive light. Documents described … GMO Answers is a marketing campaign funded by pesticide companies

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

Stacy Malkan | September 18, 2023

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

Glyphosate spin check: Tracking claims about the most widely used herbicide

Stacy Malkan | April 26, 2019

Amid global debate over the safety of glyphosate-based herbicides such as Monsanto’s Roundup, numerous claims have been made to defend the product’s safety. In the wake of two recent landmark jury rulings that found Roundup to be a substantial factor in causing non-Hodgkin lymphoma, we examined some of these claims and fact-checked them for accuracy. … Glyphosate spin check: Tracking claims about the most widely used herbicide

Geoffrey Kabat’s ties to tobacco and chemical industry groups

Stacy Malkan | March 7, 2019

Geoffrey Kabat, PhD, is a cancer epidemiologist and author of two books arguing that that health hazards of pesticides, electromagnetic fields, secondhand tobacco smoke and other environmental exposures are “greatly overblown.” He is often quoted in the press as an independent expert on cancer risk. Reporters who use Dr. Kabat as a source should be … Geoffrey Kabat’s ties to tobacco and chemical industry groups

CBI, GMO Answers, CropLife: pesticide industry PR salvos

Stacy Malkan | September 2, 2020

The Council for Biotechnology Information (CBI) was a public relations campaign launched in April 2000 by seven leading chemical/seed companies and their trade groups to persuade the public to accept genetically engineered foods. The initiative — created in response to public concerns about the health and environmental risks of genetically engineered foods — said its … CBI, GMO Answers, CropLife: pesticide industry PR salvos

American Council on Science and Health is a corporate front group

Gary Ruskin | January 19, 2023

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

Alison Van Eenennaam: key outside spokesperson and lobbyist for the pesticide and GMO industries

Stacy Malkan | April 12, 2022

Alison Van Eenennaam, PhD, a Professor of Cooperative Extension in Animal Biotechnology and Genomics at University of California, Davis, is a leading promoter of genetically engineered animals, crops and the pesticides that accompany them, and an advocate for deregulation. Dr. Van Eenennaam is a former Monsanto employee who opposes requiring safety studies for genetically engineered … Alison Van Eenennaam: key outside spokesperson and lobbyist for the pesticide and GMO industries

Biofortified Aids Chemical Industry PR & Lobbying Efforts

Stacy Malkan | May 31, 2018

Biology Fortified Inc., known as “Biofortified,” is a nonprofit organization that works closely with the agrichemical industry and its collaborators on public relations and lobbying campaigns to defend genetically engineered foods and pesticides, and attack industry critics. Board members and bloggers are key agrichemical industry allies Current and former board members and blog authors listed … Biofortified Aids Chemical Industry PR & Lobbying Efforts

IFIC explainer: How Big Food defends ultra-processed foods, pesticides, artificial sweeteners

Stacy Malkan | October 29, 2022

The International Food Information Council (IFIC), a trade group funded by large food and pesticide companies, misleads the public about diet and health, according to documents obtained by U.S. Right to Know. IFIC is widely cited in the media as a source on issues related to food and health. IFIC and its nonprofit foundation spend … IFIC explainer: How Big Food defends ultra-processed foods, pesticides, artificial sweeteners

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

Stacy Malkan | December 20, 2022

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

The misleading ways of Dr. Kevin Folta

Stacy Malkan | June 20, 2023

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

Mark Lynas’ inaccurate, deceptive promotions for GMOs and pesticides

Stacy Malkan | September 18, 2023

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

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

Stacy Malkan | January 13, 2024

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

Monsanto relied on these ‘partners’ to attack top cancer scientists

Stacy Malkan | March 31, 2019

In a confidential public relations plan dated February 2015, Monsanto laid out is plans to discredit the World Health Organization’s cancer research unit, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). A month later, the international group of experts judged glyphosate — the key ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer — to be probably carcinogenic … Monsanto relied on these ‘partners’ to attack top cancer scientists

Report from the Glyphosate Daubert Hearings

Stacy Malkan | March 15, 2018

Update 3/19: Judge Chhabria ordered an additional hearing for two of the plaintiffs’ witnesses. Follow Carey Gillam on Twitter for more updates about the legislation and we continue to post documents on our Monsanto Papers page. Court Transcripts from Daubert Hearings Friday March 9 transcript Thursday March 8 transcript Wednesday March 7 transcript Tuesday March … Report from the Glyphosate Daubert Hearings

Science Media Centre promotes corporate views of science

Stacy Malkan | November 2, 2023

The Science Media Centre (SMC) is a nonprofit public relations agency partially funded by corporations and industry groups whose products the group often defends. Current and past funders include BASF, Bayer, DuPont, Monsanto, Coca-Cola, Nestle, and food, chemical and nuclear industry trade organizations, as well as media groups, government agencies, foundations and universities. The SMC … Science Media Centre promotes corporate views of science

Bayer’s shady PR firms: FleishmanHillard, Ketchum, FTI Consulting

Stacy Malkan | November 11, 2020

Originally posted May 2019; updated November 2020 Public relations firms Bayer AG and Monsanto relied on to deflect cancer concerns about glyphosate — including FTI consulting, Ketchum PR and FleishmanHillard — have long histories of using deceptive tactics to promote pesticide, tobacco and oil industry interests. Updates FTI Consulting’s shady tactics for the oil industry: Based on … Bayer’s shady PR firms: FleishmanHillard, Ketchum, FTI Consulting

Challenge eyed to class action plan for Bayer Roundup settlement

Carey Gillam | June 26, 2020

A plan to delay any new Roundup cancer claims for years and shift the key question of whether or not the weed killer causes cancer from a jury to a hand-picked panel of scientists faces potential opposition from some of the plaintiffs’ attorneys who initiated and led the mass tort claims against Roundup maker Monsanto, … Challenge eyed to class action plan for Bayer Roundup settlement

Another St. Louis Roundup Cancer Trial Officially Postponed Until 2020

Carey Gillam | October 7, 2019

A trial set to start next week over claims that Monsanto’s Roundup weed killers cause cancer has been postponed until at least next year, according to a judge’s ruling on Friday. The trial would have been the first of its kind to take place in the St. Louis area, Monsanto’s hometown before the company sold … Another St. Louis Roundup Cancer Trial Officially Postponed Until 2020

Merchants of Poison webinar: The high stakes of pesticide industry disinformation

Stacy Malkan | June 15, 2023

Based on internal corporate documents, the Merchants of Poison report offers a rare look inside the science denial and disinformation tactics Monsanto used to defend its profits from glyphosate, an herbicide linked to cancer. In this webinar, report author Stacy Malkan of U.S. Right to Know shares five core tactics the company and other pesticide … Merchants of Poison webinar: The high stakes of pesticide industry disinformation

Pamela Ronald’s Ties to Chemical Industry Front Groups

Stacy Malkan | December 27, 2018

Founded, led UC Davis group that elevated industry PR efforts Dr. Ronald was the founding director of the World Food Center’s Institute for Food and Agricultural Literacy (IFAL), a group launched in 2014 at UC Davis to train faculty and students to promote genetically engineered foods, crops and pesticides. The group does not fully disclose … Pamela Ronald’s Ties to Chemical Industry Front Groups

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

Stacy Malkan | June 19, 2018

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

Farmers Vs. Monsanto: The Glyphosate Trials

Stacy Malkan | March 5, 2018

“Science Week” in a federal court will decide if farmer cancer lawsuits move forward Live updates from court hearings by Carey Gillam Transcripts of Daubert Hearings posted here News Release For Immediate Release: Monday, March 5, 2018 For More Information Contact: Carey Gillam (913) 526-6190; Stacy Malkan (510) 542-9224 San Francisco, Calif.; March 5, 2018 — A … Farmers Vs. Monsanto: The Glyphosate Trials

New weed killer studies raise concern for reproductive health

Carey Gillam | August 12, 2020

As Bayer AG seeks to discount concerns that Monsanto’s glyphosate-based herbicides cause cancer, several new studies are raising questions about the chemical’s potential impact on reproductive health. An assortment of animal studies released this summer indicate that glyphosate exposures impact reproductive organs and could threaten fertility, adding fresh evidence that the weed killing agent might … New weed killer studies raise concern for reproductive health

A Story Behind the Monsanto Cancer Trial — Journal Sits on Retraction

Susan Lang | August 22, 2018

What “ghostwriting” by Monsanto means, how it has influenced, and still is influencing, material found in peer-reviewed scientific journals Thisarticlewasoriginallypublishedin EnvironmentalHealthNews. By Carey Gillam and Nathan Donley Consumers and journalists around the world were stunned earlier this month when Monsanto, after being forced in a court of law for the first time to defend the … A Story Behind the Monsanto Cancer Trial — Journal Sits on Retraction

Newsweek’s Bizarre Standards for Opinion Writers

Stacy Malkan | January 31, 2018

March 2019 update: Newsweek gets ad money from Bayer; publishes op-eds favorable to Bayer By Stacy Malkan Facts don’t matter in commentaries printed by Newsweek as long as the writer “seems genuine.” That’s the troubling implication from an email exchange I had with Newsweek Opinion Editor Nicholas Wapshott after I raised concerns about a column … Newsweek’s Bizarre Standards for Opinion Writers

FDA Finds Monsanto’s Weed Killer In U.S. Honey

Carey Gillam | September 21, 2016

By Carey Gillam The Food and Drug Administration, under public pressure to start testing samples of U.S. food for the presence of a pesticide that has been linked to cancer, has some early findings that are not so sweet. In examining honey samples from various locations in the United States, the FDA has found fresh … FDA Finds Monsanto’s Weed Killer In U.S. Honey

Internal FDA Emails: Weedkiller Found in Granola and Crackers

Susan Lang | May 2, 2018

This article was originally published in the Guardian. By Carey Gillam US government scientists have detected a weedkiller linked to cancer in an array of commonly consumed foods, emails obtained through a freedom of information request show. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been testing food samples for residues of glyphosate, the active ingredient … Internal FDA Emails: Weedkiller Found in Granola and Crackers

New study finds glyphosate-related alterations in gut microbiome

Carey Gillam | January 27, 2021

A new animal study by a group of European researchers has found that low levels of the weed killing chemical glyphosate and the glyphosate-based Roundup product can alter the composition of the gut microbiome in ways that may be linked to adverse health outcomes. The paper, published Wednesday in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, is … New study finds glyphosate-related alterations in gut microbiome

USDA Shirking Obligation to Give Consumers Clarity Over Herbicide Residues on Food

Carey Gillam | January 11, 2016

When microbiologist Bruce Hemming was hired two years ago to test breast milk samples for residues of the key ingredient in the popular weed-killer Roundup, Hemming at first scoffed at the possibility.Hemming, the founder of St. Louis-based Microbe Inotech Laboratories, knew that the herbicidal ingredient called glyphosate was not supposed to accumulate in the human … USDA Shirking Obligation to Give Consumers Clarity Over Herbicide Residues on Food

Journalists fail to reveal sources funded by Coca-Cola: A short report

Gary Ruskin | December 14, 2015

During the investigation and subsequent collapse of the Coca-Cola front group Global Energy Balance Network, the New York Times and Associated Press discovered that prominent university professors working on obesity issues had been funded by The Coca-Cola Company. This is not just a public health scandal. It is a journalistic one as well. Journalists have … Journalists fail to reveal sources funded by Coca-Cola: A short report

Center for Food Integrity: PR for processed foods, pesticides and GMOs

Stacy Malkan | April 26, 2022

The Center for Food Integrity (CFI), formerly the Grow America Project, is an industry-funded 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that conducts research, lobbying and public relations campaigns to “earn consumer trust” for processed food and agrichemical companies, including DowDuPont, Monsanto, Cargill, Costco, Grocery Manufacturers Association, Hershey, Kroger and trade associations for meat, dairy and soybeans. In the … Center for Food Integrity: PR for processed foods, pesticides and GMOs

New analysis of glyphosate industry studies finds them outdated, flawed

Carey Gillam | July 4, 2021

See Carey Gillam’s article in The Guardian, Corporate studies asserting herbicide safety show many flaws, new analysis finds (July 2, 2021). In this post we provide links to the 53 once-secret studies and related materials. Questions about the safety of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) have persisted for years, as scientific research has split over whether or … New analysis of glyphosate industry studies finds them outdated, flawed

Sparks to Fly in Closing Arguments at Third Roundup Cancer Trial

Carey Gillam | May 8, 2019

After two costly courtroom losses, lawyers for Monsanto and its German owner Bayer AG on Wednesday were set to make closing arguments in what is the third trial brought by people who blame their cancers on use of Monsanto’s Roundup and other glyphosate-based weed killer brands. Plaintiffs Alva and Alberta Pilliod, a married couple in … Sparks to Fly in Closing Arguments at Third Roundup Cancer Trial

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