Bayer says it may stop producing glyphosate—the world’s most widely used weedkiller—unless it receives court protection from lawsuits alleging the chemical causes cancer.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Bayer currently supplies about 40% of the global glyphosate market. The herbicide is a critical tool for farmers, used to control weeds that threaten crop yields. But over the past decade, it has also drawn mounting legal challenges, with plaintiffs claiming exposure has led to serious health risks.
In early March, Bayer informed farmers, retailers, and suppliers that it may soon stop selling Roundup, its glyphosate-based product. That move would likely shift U.S. reliance to imported glyphosate from China.
“We’re pretty much reaching the end of our road,” Bayer CEO Bill Anderson told the Journal. “We’re not talking years but months instead.”
The USDA notes that over 90% of soybeans, corn, and cotton planted in the U.S. are genetically modified to tolerate glyphosate, underscoring how dependent American agriculture has become on the herbicide.