A look at health concerns as Roundup case reaches Supreme Court

[0:00] The U.S. Supreme Court today heard arguments in a case that could reshape the years-long [0:04] legal fight over Roundup, the world's most widely used weed killer. [0:09] It's been a mainstay of industrial agriculture in the U.S. and around the globe, but thousands [0:14] of lawsuits allege that one of its key ingredients may be linked to cancer. [0:19] Our justice correspondent, Allie Rogan, has more on the debate before the court. [0:24] For many years, researchers have debated if exposure to glyphosate, the herbicide and [0:29] key ingredient in Roundup, causes cancer. [0:32] That debate has led to tens of thousands of lawsuits against Bayer, the company that makes [0:37] Roundup, claiming it failed to warn consumers about potential health risks. [0:42] Bayer argues federal pesticide laws shield them and that the EPA has never declared their product [0:48] contains cancer-causing ingredients. [0:51] Today's arguments unfolded against a backdrop of political tensions over pesticides, both [0:56] within the Trump administration and the broader Make America Healthy Again movement. [1:00] To help us understand the potential real-world implications of whatever the court decides, [1:05] we're joined by Helena Bademilievich, founder of the Food Fix newsletter, who has been tracking [1:10] the policy implications of this debate. [1:12] Helena, thanks so much, and welcome back to the NewsHour. [1:15] Thanks for having me. [1:16] So tell us, why do farmers and other folks in the agriculture business, why is Roundup so widely [1:24] used? [1:26] Yeah, so it is the most widely used weed killer or herbicide in the U.S., and we particularly [1:30] use it to raise crops like corn and soy and cotton, and it is a really good way to handle [1:36] weeds. [1:37] It is efficient, and for decades, farmers were really marketed to that this was so much less [1:42] toxic than other options. [1:44] And so it is commonly used. [1:46] It's also used in gardens and landscapes, around schools. [1:49] It is just very, very common in the U.S. [1:52] What does this case boil down to in the Supreme Court? [1:55] So really at the heart of this is whether or not EPA has the final say on pesticides. [2:01] There's tens of thousands of cases where farmers and other occupational users of glyphosate [2:06] have brought these cases. [2:08] They're arguing basically that the company didn't warn them of the potential risk of cancer. [2:13] And so that's the issue. [2:16] It's either preemption or states' rights, and we'll see what they decide. [2:20] And while the justices weigh these regulatory questions, what do we know about the stated [2:26] health risks and the unknowns of using Roundup? [2:30] Yeah, so EPA has long maintained, has maintained for decades, that glyphosate is not likely to be [2:37] a human carcinogen. [2:38] But not everyone agrees with that assessment. [2:40] So back in 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, they determined, that's [2:47] a WHO panel, they determined that it is likely to be a human carcinogen. [2:52] There's other places, like in the EU, where they allow glyphosate, but they have much stricter [2:57] controls on how it is used. [2:59] There is a really intense scientific debate about the extent to which glyphosate might be [3:04] increasing cancer risk, particularly non-Hodgkin lymphoma. [3:08] There is more evidence around the occupational uses, so think farm workers, farmers, groundskeepers. [3:15] But a lot of the Maha moms that you're hearing from right now are really concerned about the [3:19] low-level residues found in food. [3:22] EPA maintains that these are below the levels that they would be concerned about, but there's [3:27] a lot of worry, I think, of consumers about what the long-term implications of having these [3:34] residues in our food supply might mean. [3:36] Helena, earlier this year, President Trump issued an executive order which would boost [3:40] domestic production of glyphosate, kind of going in the complete opposite direction of [3:45] the Maha movement and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy. [3:49] What is the political debate here, and is it driving a wedge between the Trump administration [3:54] and the Maha movement? [3:55] It has ripped open major tensions within this Maha and MAGA coalition. [4:01] So basically when then-candidate Kennedy dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Trump, [4:08] we've created this Maha-MAGA-like marriage. [4:11] And that marriage has been under strain as the Trump administration, as you mentioned, continues [4:16] to back Bayer, the German chemical company that bought Monsanto, which was the maker of Roundup. [4:23] Bayer has been supported by the Trump administration at every turn through an executive order. [4:29] The Trump administration is actually before the Supreme Court arguing on behalf of Bayer as well. [4:33] And so Maha is furious about this. [4:36] They feel that it is a betrayal of what Kennedy and Trump argued for on the campaign trail. [4:42] You were at the rally in front of the Supreme Court today with Maha supporters. [4:45] They called it the people versus poison. [4:48] What are your takeaways? [4:49] You know, there was a lot of energy there. [4:50] There were definitely not as many people as they had anticipated. [4:53] I think they were expecting a thousand people or more. [4:56] There were not that many people. [4:57] There were a lot of reporters. [4:58] But there was a lot of energy. [5:00] The moms I talked to there were really excited to protest. [5:03] A lot of them had never been to a Supreme Court rally before. [5:06] And it was bipartisan. [5:08] When you look at the polling on these issues, like more regulations of pesticides, it is [5:12] broadly supported across Republicans, Democrats, and independents. [5:16] Halina, we don't know how this is going to end up. [5:18] But if Roundup is forced to accept these warning labels alleging, you know, warning of cancer, [5:26] are there alternative products out there? [5:28] What else is available to people who use these products? [5:32] Yeah, one of the big concerns is that whatever replaces Roundup or glyphosate might be more [5:38] toxic. [5:38] So that is a big concern in the agriculture community to look at potential replacements. [5:42] We don't really have a natural replacement for glyphosate at this point. [5:46] It is such a major part of the U.S. agricultural system. [5:50] There is some technology coming down the pike with lasers zapping weeds. [5:54] And like there's some other things that are coming down. [5:55] But those are very expensive. [5:57] Those are years away. [5:58] And I think it's going to be a while before those are really viable technologies. [6:03] Bayer has really expressed concern that if this liability, if they continue to face [6:07] billions in liability in the U.S., that they might have to pull glyphosate from the market. [6:12] The Trump administration has argued that that would be catastrophic. [6:15] Not everyone agrees with that assessment, but it would be extremely disruptive. [6:19] Halina Bonamiller-Evich, founder of Food Fix, thank you so much. [6:23] Thank you. [6:23] Support journalism you trust. [6:36] Support PBS News. [6:38] Donate now, or even better, start a monthly contribution today.