Why Shielding Glyphosate Is a Public Health Crisis

On February 19, 2025, the Iowa Senate advanced a bill that would give Bayer legal immunity from cancer lawsuits linked to its controversial herbicide, Roundup. This move has sparked outrage from public health advocates, cancer survivors, and environmental scientists alike — and for good reason. The science is growing clearer: glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, poses serious health risks, and the state most poised to protect Bayer is also one of the sickest.

The Iowa Paradox: High Cancer, High Glyphosate

Iowa, where Bayer produces 70% of North America’s Roundup in Muscatine, has the second-highest cancer rate in the U.S., according to the 2024 Iowa Cancer Registry. In 2025 alone, 6,100 Iowans are projected to die from cancer. Dr. Richard Deming, an oncologist in Des Moines, draws a clear connection: “There’s a clear association between ag chemical exposure in Iowa and cancer incidence.” His concerns are echoed by mounting scientific evidence.

Glyphosate and Cancer: The Science Speaks

Glyphosate has been at the center of global scientific debate for years, but several landmark studies and reviews support the link to cancer — particularly non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).

• A 2019 meta-analysis published in Mutation Research analyzed human exposure studies and found that high exposure to glyphosate increases the risk of NHL by 41% (Zhang et al., 2019).
• In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2A).
• A 2021 study in Environmental Health found that glyphosate disrupts gut microbiota and triggers oxidative stress — a known cancer development pathway.

Bayer — which acquired Monsanto (the original manufacturer of Roundup) in 2018 — has long denied these associations, but has already paid over $10 billion in settlements to victims. Courts across the U.S. have repeatedly found the company guilty of acting with “malice, oppression or fraud” in hiding the dangers of glyphosate.

The Legal Bailout: A Dangerous Precedent

The Iowa bill isn't isolated. Legislators in Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Tennessee are also proposing laws that would protect Bayer from further litigation. If passed, these laws would prevent victims — many of them farmers and agricultural workers — from seeking justice, even after court rulings in their favor.

This sets a dangerous precedent: corporations with enough political influence could sidestep accountability for public health disasters. It’s corporate welfare at the expense of cancer patients and their families.

Environmental Fallout: It’s Not Just About Cancer

Glyphosate’s damage isn’t limited to humans. Studies show that it harms soil biodiversity, disrupts aquatic ecosystems, and may contribute to the decline of pollinators like bees and butterflies.

• A 2018 study in Ecotoxicology revealed that glyphosate exposure affects honeybee navigation and behavior.
• A 2020 review in Science of The Total Environment linked glyphosate to reduced soil microbial diversity, which can harm crop health and long-term farm productivity.

What Needs to Happen

1. Protect Public Health, Not Corporations: Legislators must reject attempts to shield Bayer from accountability. Victims deserve justice, and communities deserve transparency.
2. Ban Glyphosate-Based Herbicides: The U.S. should follow countries like Germany, Austria, and France in phasing out glyphosate.
3. Fund Safer Alternatives: Invest in regenerative agriculture, precision weed management, and less toxic herbicides.
4. Enforce Science-Based Policy: Let public health data — not corporate lobbying — drive agricultural regulations.

Final Word

We cannot allow Iowa to become a blueprint for corporate immunity in the face of scientific truth. Bayer's herbicide may have been marketed as safe, but the cancer wards and courtrooms of America tell a different story. It's time to ban Roundup and stand with those whose lives were upended by the lie of its safety.

Don’t let Bayer off the hook. Don’t bail out Big Chemical. Protect people, not profits.

Sign the Petition HERE

References

Zhang, L. et al. (2019). Exposure to Glyphosate-Based Herbicides and Risk for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Meta-Analysis and Supporting Evidence. Mutation Research/Reviews in Mutation Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mrrev.2019.02.001

IARC. (2015). Monograph on Glyphosate. International Agency for Research on Cancer. https://www.iarc.who.int/featured-news/media-centre-iarc-news-glyphosate/

Mesnage, R., & Antoniou, M.N. (2021). Glyphosate and the gut microbiome: Findings of a systematic review of in vitro and in vivo studies. Environmental Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-020-00659-2

Motta, E.V.S. et al. (2018). Glyphosate perturbs the gut microbiota of honey bees. Ecotoxicology.