Thread: World Health Organisation says glyphosate "probably" causes cancer

WHO: Weedkiller ingredient 'probably' causes cancer

The household weedkiller Roundup contains an ingredient that "probably" causes cancer, a World Health Organisation report has found.

But the agricultural chemical company that produces the herbicide has attacked the credibility of the WHO committee that assessed the chemical, accusing it of cherry picking the evidence.

The WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer [IARC] reviewed the existing evidence on pesticides to establish a positive link between non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and glyphosate, which is widely used in agriculture and household herbicides, though it stopped short of naming the chemical a conclusive cause of cancer.

They found there was an increased risk of cancer among people who were exposed to glyphosate through their work, leading the agency to conclude that it was "probably carcinogenic to humans".

Co-author Lin Fritschi said regulatory guidelines should now be reviewed to limit or ban the use of herbicides containing glyphosate.

"There was sufficient evidence in animals that glyphosate is carcinogenic and evidence that it can cause some of the steps towards cancer in cells, but only a limited number of studies in humans so it was classified as a probable carcinogen," Professor Fritschi said.

There was no evidence that people who consumed crops that had been sprayed with herbicides containing glyphosate were at risk.

Glyphosate is used in more than 750 agricultural, household and forestry products and its use has increased since the development of genetically modified crops that are resistant to it.

Some of those crops have become the subject of high profile litigation in the Western Australian Supreme Court, where the seeds from one farmer's genetically modified canola crop blew onto his neighbour's organic farm.

But Monsanto, the chemical company that manufactures Roundup and developed the genetically modified "Roundup Ready" seeds that are resistent to its use, has accused the WHO agency of running "agenda driven bias".

Its Australian corporate affairs manager Adam Blight said 800 studies had demonstrated glyphosate's safety.

"What we're saying is that they've cherry-picked data," Mr Blight said.

"The IARC has not gone about a comprehensive review at all."

Monsanto has a controversial history including the production of Agent Orange, which was used to exterminate jungles during the Vietnam War and created highly toxic dioxin as a by-product during the 1960s, but has since reinvented itself as a sustainable agriculture company with an environmental conscience.

The agricultural chemical lobby group CropLife echoed Monsanto's criticisms, saying the IARC findings contradicted those of regulatory agencies around the world and would not affect the label, registration or use of glyphosate.

But UNSW medical Professor Bernard Stewart said the agency was the world's foremost authority on cancer research and typically evaluated a vast amount of research before including the most persuasive studies in its summary.

"Criticism from Monsanto, who has a clear financial vested interest, I'm unperturbed by criticism by someone such as them in the present context," Professor Stewart said.

WHO: Weedkiller ingredient 'probably' causes cancer

The GMO chemical giants make their Frankenstein crops resistant to glyphosate. Anyone with half a brain who has seen the myriad of real (as in non monsanto / sygentia etc paid for studies) knows this causes cancer, and that the actual crop itself causes 2nd generation deformity and death in all animals it is tested upon.

Err, lying is propaganda and not news. Stating your bogus opinions as fact is not clever and in your hysteria you are coming across as a raving nutter.

Sort yourself out and get a grip.

^ and ^^

Originally Posted by pseudolus

But Monsanto, the chemical company that manufactures Roundup and developed the genetically modified "Roundup Ready" seeds that are resistent to its use, has accused the WHO agency of running "agenda driven bias".

So they make the weed killer chemical that lingers in the ground and they make and sell genetically modified seeds which are the only ones resistant to this chemical.

What part of Monsanto being evil and greedy is hard to believe? Conflict of interest is too polite a phrase to describe this. Oh yea, and by the way, it also causes cancer. Is anyone naive enough to think Monsanto is going to give up a sweet racket like that any more than the cigarette companies would?

id dunno what in my grub these days.
i bet prince charles doesn't have any truck with it in his private veggie garden.

no no none of that shit in the markets will be on his dinner plate.
jees we've poisoned the land and sea already
with 1 out of 3 getting cancer today
and hospitals can't cope with it.
so you die.
do i trust monsantaclause , do i heck.
seems the humble egg is going through changes because of factory farming.

Main job for me in the next two months is getting organic hydroponic veges started for home consumption.

There's nothing in the markets that appeals to me, mostly very good looking fruits and vegetables, blemish free, totally unnatural, large heads of broccoli from China, Chinese apples, the lot.

Poisoned.

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

Err, lying is propaganda and not news. Stating your bogus opinions as fact is not clever and in your hysteria you are coming across as a raving nutter.

Sort yourself out and get a grip.

Good advice.

Latest I've heard, extra virgin olive oil is being scrutinized as a possible cancer cell killer...Watch for it in the media...


Should one wear a hard-hat in a tinfoil hat area?...

Harry?...

(I suppose if huge chunks of "shit" are flying around, it might be advisable, even mandatory)...

watched a guy defend Glyphosate.
sayin a human can drink with water and wouldn't do any damage.
when interviewer said he had some and would he demonstrate by drinking a glass
defender said no, said no 3 times
and finally he said
do you think i'm crazy or stooopid.
that was the gist of it anyway.

Ran across this a few years back . . .

Glyphosate, pathways to modern diseases II: Celiac sprue and gluten intolerance. - PubMed - NCBI

Originally Posted by BobR

^ and ^^

Originally Posted by pseudolus

But Monsanto, the chemical company that manufactures Roundup and developed the genetically modified "Roundup Ready" seeds that are resistent to its use, has accused the WHO agency of running "agenda driven bias".

So they make the weed killer chemical that lingers in the ground and they make and sell genetically modified seeds which are the only ones resistant to this chemical.

What part of Monsanto being evil and greedy is hard to believe? Conflict of interest is too polite a phrase to describe this. Oh yea, and by the way, it also causes cancer. Is anyone naive enough to think Monsanto is going to give up a sweet racket like that any more than the cigarette companies would?

......and for years, they've seemed to have courted and won over numerous governments and created long-ranging laws that are self-beneficial.

Gee, I wonder how this comes about. Mega-dominating corporations being able to coerce the establishment.....and caste hypnotic potions on the general public.

Originally Posted by BobR

So they make the weed killer chemical that lingers in the ground and they make and sell genetically modified seeds which are the only ones resistant to this chemical.

Yes, yes they do. Time to remove their heads?

Originally Posted by billy the kid

we've poisoned the land and sea already
with 1 out of 3 getting cancer today

THEY, THEY'VE destroyed the land and sea.

Originally Posted by billy the kid

watched a guy defend Glyphosate.
sayin a human can drink with water and wouldn't do any damage.
when interviewer said he had some and would he demonstrate by drinking a glass
defender said no, said no 3 times
and finally he said
do you think i'm crazy or stooopid.
that was the gist of it anyway.

There's your answer.

well i dunno , is there a difference between us and them ?

capitalism without checks throws up the flaws in it and this is one.

yes this kind of control on the food we eat is outrageous.

too many unknowns regarding health.

including the health of Nature which only us can protect.

But we're more interested in saving the f*ckin Panda.