A scientific paper from 2000, long used by Monsanto to defend the safety of its herbicide Roundup and its active ingredient glyphosate, has been formally retracted due to “serious ethical concerns”. The journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology announced the retraction, citing issues with the independence and accountability of the authors.
The study, titled Safety Evaluation and Risk Assessment of the Herbicide Roundup and Its Active Ingredient, Glyphosate, for Humans, concluded that glyphosate-based weed killers posed no cancer or reproductive risks. It was authored by Gary Williams, Robert Kroes and Ian Munro, scientists not employed by Monsanto, and was cited by regulators including the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Internal company emails, revealed during US litigation, exposed Monsanto’s influence on the research. One email from Monsanto official Lisa Drake praised the “hard work” of seven Monsanto employees in developing “independent” papers, describing the publication as crucial for defending Roundup worldwide. Another email discussed giving polo shirts to contributors as a token of appreciation.
In 2015, Monsanto scientist William Heydens suggested ghostwriting another paper, noting that the 2000 study had been handled similarly. The retraction follows jury trials where plaintiffs with cancer won billions in damages from Monsanto, now owned by Bayer AG.
