Bayer is ramping up a multi-state and federal campaign to block future lawsuits linking Roundup to cancer, even as public backlash and scientific disputes persist.
Lisa Held reports for Civil Eats.
In short:
- Bayer has launched an aggressive push for state and federal legislation that would grant it immunity from "failure-to-warn" lawsuits, arguing that U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approval should shield it from legal claims even as juries and health agencies worldwide question glyphosate’s safety.
- The company’s state-level efforts have largely stalled, with only Georgia passing a bill; other states, including Iowa and Idaho, saw fierce public opposition and failed legislation, despite heavy lobbying and a $171,000 ad campaign on Meta.
- At the federal level, Bayer is backing the Agricultural Labeling Uniformity Act and a petition to the EPA to cement national authority over pesticide labels, moves that would block states from requiring warnings like California’s glyphosate cancer label.
Key quote:
"We don’t need to have the Iowa legislature making this decision on behalf of Bayer. If they feel that their cancer or whatever illness has been caused by using a pesticide, people should have a chance to make that case in court.”
— Jennifer Breon, organizer at advocacy group Food & Water Watch
Why this matters:
Bayer’s campaign to muzzle lawsuits over Roundup appears to be a high-stakes bid to rewrite the rules on corporate accountability. But this is bigger than one corporation. It’s about whether companies can use regulatory sign-offs as a shield — even when public health concerns persist and scientific consensus shifts.
Read more:
- Glyphosate, explained
- Tennessee delays vote on bill shielding Roundup from cancer lawsuits
- Bayer hit with another massive verdict over Roundup cancer claims
- EPA considers new rule that could limit cancer lawsuits tied to Roundup
- Bayer pushes U.S. Supreme Court to block cancer lawsuits tied to Roundup weedkiller
