Glyphosate: The Chemical Putting Pressure On RFK Jr.

Glyphosate, marketed as Roundup by Monsanto (now Bayer), revolutionized farming by eliminating the need for extensive tilling. However, it faces numerous lawsuits alleging it causes cancer, with plaintiffs seeking millions. The Supreme Court is currently considering whether federal laws preempt state-level lawsuits concerning the absence of warning labels on glyphosate products. Bayer maintains no health regulator has found glyphosate to pose a human health risk. President Trump has supported Monsanto, asking the Supreme Court to side with them, and signed an executive order promoting domestic glyphosate production, deeming it a national security priority. This incensed "Make America Healthy Against" supporters, who oppose glyphosate in agriculture. Farmers rely on Roundup for efficiency, weed control, and benefits like reduced tilling, which preserves soil health and lessens erosion. Despite claims by the EPA, Canadian, and European counterparts that glyphosate isn't dangerous, extensive research links it to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and endocrine disruption. Glyphosate enters the food supply primarily through pre-harvest desiccation, where farmers spray crops just before harvest to ripen them uniformly. The debate over glyphosate highlights a conflict between agricultural reliance, potential health risks, and political implications.