Billions in Lawsuits Push Company to Rethink Its Role in Herbicide Market
After years of mounting legal battles and costly settlements, Bayer is signaling it may soon exit the glyphosate business. Company executives, including CEO Bill Anderson, have issued stark warnings to investors that the ongoing litigation tied to the herbicide Roundup could force a major strategic retreat.
In a recent call with shareholders, Anderson explained that despite meeting federal regulatory requirements, pesticide producers in the U.S. remain legally vulnerable. “There is no broad protection,” he said, noting that even full compliance with EPA labeling does not shield manufacturers from failure-to-warn lawsuits.
Originally introduced by Monsanto in the 1970s, glyphosate quickly became the most widely used herbicide in the world. It was a cornerstone of the agricultural weed control toolkit. But after Bayer acquired Monsanto in 2018, it also inherited thousands of lawsuits alleging that glyphosate exposure causes cancer—claims Bayer continues to contest.
Bayer has already removed glyphosate from consumer herbicide products sold in the U.S. Now, the company says litigation may undermine its ability to provide glyphosate-based products to farmers and other professional users as well.
The potential move would mark a dramatic shift in global agriculture and could have far-reaching implications for crop management, weed control practices, and the future of chemical regulation.
Lorrie Boyer reporting for AgNet West.