Supreme Court will decide if federal law shields Roundup maker from lawsuits

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a case asking whether federal pesticide law bars state-law lawsuits against the manufacturer of the weedkiller Roundup over claims that it causes cancer. Roundup was developed by Monsanto in the 1970s and is now sold by Bayer, which acquired Monsanto in 2018.

The company faces thousands of lawsuits, amounting to one of the largest waves of such litigation in U.S. history. Some evidence in lab animals, and more limited evidence in humans, has indicated a link between glyphosate, Roundup’s active ingredient, and cancer. Last month a scientific journal retracted a widely cited paper that had reviewed available evidence and declared glyphosate safe, saying Monsanto scientists had guided the research.

The Environmental Protection Agency considers the herbicide to be safe, and the federal government faces an Oct. 1, 2026, deadline to re-examine the effects of glyphosate. Bayer argues that the E.P.A. is responsible for pesticide labeling nationwide and that following federal standards effectively protects it from lawsuits.

Bill Anderson, chief executive of Bayer, said regulators around the world had concluded that glyphosate-based herbicides "can be used safely" and called the court’s decision to take the case "good news for U.S. farmers, who need regulatory clarity." He added, "It is time for the U.S.

Key Topics

Politics, Bayer, Roundup, Glyphosate, Supreme Court, Environmental Protection Agency