I just dipped into the glyphosate news today and it's simply amazing what is happening. (And one wonders why it is so little covered by legitimate press in U.S. as it is a huge topic of concern in Europe.)
Here are two threads of the unfolding epic.
MONSANTO LAW SUITS REVEAL DECEPTION AND PREDATORY PR TECHNIQUES OVER IARC DECISION
I can only say the U. S. Right to Know's article on this topic is must reading for those interested in following the unraveling of Monsanto's deceptions - juicy glyphosate gossip, if you will.
It now appears that Monsanto planned a campaign to discredit IARC's assessment and scientists, as the company anticipated that IARC would rule the herbicide Roundup's main ingredient as a probable carcinogen. The campaign's tactics including ghostwriting articles that were allegedly written by reputable scientists, who were paid to publish company written articles touting glyphosate's safety. Possible collusion with a senior EPA official is another thread in this tangled web.
BIG IMPLICATIONS IN EUROPEAN LICENSING ISSUES
Today the future of glyphosate in the EU is in question - one that a group of EU Parliament policymakers is scheduled to address in a meeting on Oct. 11 in Brussels.
Monsanto's current license for glyphosate sales in the EU expires at the end of 2017 and requires an EU decision to renew it to continue selling it.
France has already said it will vote against extending the sale of glyphosate. Conservation ag farmers (who reduce herbicide use through no-till practices and planting cover crops) are now pressuring France to reverse that position.
EuractiveTV reported earlier this month on the political divisions in Europe over issuing a renewal of glyphosate's license.
Last week Reuters reported that the French polling group IPSOS as estimating that a ban would cost French winemakers 900 million euros ($1 billion).
In the U.S. California winemakers use more than 700,000 pounds of the herbicide each year. The State of California has labeled it as carcinogenic and products that contain it will soon have to list it on their labels or face steep penalties.
A 2016 poll of 7,000 Europeans showed that more than two thirds of European's support a ban on glyphosate.
As reported by The Guardian, the poll found that 75% of Italians, "70% of Germans, 60% of French and 56% of Britons" backed a ban on the herbicide.
BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE: EU COLLUSION REPORTED
See here: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/15/eu-report-on-weedkiller-safety-copied-text-from-monsanto-study
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