The Global Glyphosate Study has been watching the legal proceedings in the U.S. which led on Wednesday to Bayer, the manufacturer of the glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup, settling lawsuits for $10.9 Billion.
Scientific Panel on Roundup and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
We have focused our attention on a particular excerpt of Bayer’s settlement Press Release, as it relates to a scientific panel being created:
“Potential future cases will be governed by a class agreement which is subject to court approval. The agreement includes the establishment of a class of potential future plaintiffs and the creation of an independent Class Science Panel. The Class Science Panel will determine whether Roundup™ can cause non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), and if so, at what minimum exposure levels.”
Independent Science
The Global Glyphosate Study has no involvement in or opinion on the Bayer Roundup settlement or the plan for an “independent Class Science Panel”; however, we do have a long-term interest in independent and comprehensive science.
It is very important that ‘independent’ means truly independent. It is for this reason that the Global Glyphosate Study has decided not to accept any funding for the study from the industry that produces glyphosate-based herbicides or from the organic farming or food industry – to avoid all conflicts of interest. A global crowdfunding campaign has been launched to support the study.
It is also important to involve institutions who have a track record of independence in studies on ubiquitous chemicals such as glyphosate. This is why the Global Glyphosate Study, led by The Ramazzini Institute, has already partnered with many other independent institutes and Universities in Europe, South America and the United States on this groundbreaking project, including; the University of Bologna, the Genoa Hospital San Martino, the Italian National Institute of Health, the University of Copenhagen, the Federal University of Paraná, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (NY) and the George Washington University.
Comprehensive Studies
The focus of the “Class Science Panel” mentioned in Bayer’s Press Release is limited to Roundup and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL).
However, it is crucial to not solely focus on NHL in new studies on the chemical. The Global Glyphosate Study has set out to answer the following questions for glyphosate (the ‘active’ ingredient in glyphosate-based herbicides) and Roundup (the full formulation of a specific glyphosate-based herbicide including adjuvants) separately:
- What levels of glyphosate and Roundup are safe or not – including levels the public is exposed to?
- What specific harm is being caused to human health – if any?
Data from our study will include:
- Full clear long-term data on the toxicity of glyphosate and Roundup at real-life exposures
- Full clear long-term data on the carcinogenicity of glyphosate and Roundup at real-life exposures
- Full clear long-term data on the multi-generational effects of glyphosate and Roundup at real-life exposures
- Full clear long-term data on the neurotoxicology effects of glyphosate and Roundup at real-life exposures
- Full clear long-term data on the endocrine disrupting effects of glyphosate and Roundup at real-life exposures
- Full clear long-term data on the prenatal developmental toxicity effects of glyphosate and Roundup at real-life exposures
- Full clear long-term data on the effects of glyphosate and Roundup at real-life exposures on the microbiome
Comprehensive science is vital when it comes to evaluating the safety of a chemical – The Global Glyphosate Study will supply valuable data of unprecedented power to enable regulators, governments and the general public of every country to answer the question: Are glyphosate and Roundup safe at real-world levels of exposure?
Pilot Studies Show Cause for Concern
The Global Glyphosate Study’s pilot research, which was presented in the European Parliament, has already shown that there may be a cause for concern.
In 2018 our first set of peer-reviewed pilot studies revealed that glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) were able to alter certain important biological parameters, mainly relating to sexual development, genotoxicity and the alteration of the intestinal microbiome.
In 2019 our published peer-reviewed pilot study found that exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs), including Roundup, caused reproductive and developmental effects in both male and female rats, at a dose level currently considered safe in the U.S. (1.75 mg/kg bw/day).
These results show that a comprehensive long-term study on glyphosate and its formulations is now vital and this research, which is already underway, needs global support. The long-term study will be able to provide solid, comprehensive and definitive evidence for all stake-holders on the effects of glyphosate and its formulations.
Find Out More about The Global Glyphosate Study Here.
Press Contact:
Dr. Vincenzo Branà
Email: glyphosate@ramazzini.it