More than a decade after investigative journalist Carey Gillam first pulled back the curtain on Monsanto’s controversial weedkiller, the global giant now finds itself on the ropes, say NoMoreGlyphosate.nz.
Fresh science, record-breaking lawsuits, and even its own CEO’s admissions suggest Bayer’s grip on glyphosate may be slipping faster than anyone expected.
The Tipping Point
Bayer, the pharmaceutical and agrichemical heavyweight that acquired Monsanto in 2018, has been trying for years to bury the legal and reputational fallout of Roundup. But this month, Bayer quietly settled yet another Roundup cancer case in Missouri — mid-trial, before a jury could rule on evidence showing Monsanto’s internal ghostwriting of scientific studies. The settlement follows a staggering $2 billion Georgia verdict against Bayer that is still on appeal.
These aren’t isolated legal speed bumps. They are part of a tidal wave: over 114,000 cases have now been settled, with more than 67,000 still active. Bayer has even petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to block these lawsuits altogether by arguing that federal pesticide law should override state-based failure-to-warn claims. A Supreme Court decision is expected soon and could determine whether thousands more cases proceed — or vanish.
When the Strategy Backfires
Bayer’s legal strategy is showing deep cracks. With courtroom after courtroom exposing corporate manipulation, even a powerful multinational is struggling to stay ahead of the claims. Adding to the squeeze, a new rodent study published this month links glyphosate to multiple forms of cancer — including lymphoma and liver tumors — at doses regulators still consider “safe.”
No wonder Bayer’s CEO has hinted the company might “throw in the towel” and stop selling glyphosate-based herbicides to professional users, on top of halting consumer sales in the U.S. That isn’t just a marketing tweak; it’s a sign of retreat.
The Long Shadow of Whitewash
If this feels like déjà vu, that’s because Carey Gillam’s reporting has been warning of this reckoning for years. In Whitewash (2017), Gillam documented how Monsanto systematically shaped glyphosate science — from hidden PR campaigns to industry-friendly regulators and ghostwritten safety studies. She followed that exposé with The Monsanto Papers in 2021, laying bare the courtroom evidence that is now driving billion-dollar verdicts.
What juries are seeing today is a real-world replay of the corporate playbook Gillam described in those books. The public is no longer just hearing allegations — they are seeing the emails, the strategy documents, and the silencing of critics, all under oath in court.
Why It Matters for New Zealand
New Zealand still imports and uses glyphosate products under Bayer’s licensing agreements, even as its maker signals a possible exit abroad. Our regulators continue to defend glyphosate’s safety, citing outdated risk assessments that ignore many of the same issues now being tested in U.S. courts.
If the largest glyphosate manufacturer in the world is thinking about abandoning its flagship product, shouldn’t our policymakers at least pause to re-examine local approvals? Shouldn’t we ask whether we are trusting science — or trusting corporate marketing?
The Bigger Picture
This moment represents more than Bayer losing a legal fight. It’s about a global shift: from unchallenged chemical dominance to deep, uncomfortable questions about how we regulate, test, and approve products that end up in our food, our soil, and our bodies.
Gillam’s early warnings have come full circle. As new evidence emerges and as Bayer scrambles to protect its shareholders, the public — including New Zealanders — has an opportunity to finally see past the slogans and ask:
If this chemical empire is crumbling, why should we keep propping it up?
Final Thought
Carey Gillam’s investigative courage gave people a glimpse into the shadowy world of pesticide regulation and corporate influence. Today, juries, scientists, and even Bayer’s own executives are confirming what she saw coming. It’s time we paid attention — and refused to be the last ones left holding the risks of a collapsing chemical empire.
Further information is available at NoMoreGlyphosate.nz.
NoMoreGlyphosate.nz is a public interest campaign committed to raising awareness about the health and environmental risks of glyphosate-based herbicides. They advocate for regulatory transparency, independent testing, and safer alternatives to protect New Zealanders and the ecosystems we depend on.
And the dismal National led government here, want to massively up the dose, in our food. Shows you where their loyalty lies. Next election people, grow a set and stop voting for mainstream misfit parties.
Voting is just electing the “selected”. A psyop masquerading as “democracy”.
Well if that the case, then it wont hurt you to try a new party, since its all a game anyway.
If traitors Luxon and Collins think it’s so safe then let’s see them drink a glass of it on National TV!
I’d pay to see that!
Me also.