Exploring Glyphosate's Controversial Connection to Health

Good morning - I hope Q4 is off to a great start for you.

Unfortunately, I sprained my ankle last night. So, I’m writing to you today in pain— physically from the injury & spiritually from the content of this newsletter.

But this info is important, and I’m committed to sharing it with you.

On Tuesday, the country had a one-night opportunity to watch an eye-opening documentary in theaters: Into the Weeds: Dewayne ‘Lee’ Johnson vs. Monsanto Company.

It tells the story of Lee Johnson, a California groundskeeper who received a cancer diagnosis after a workplace accident– featuring a few gallons of Ranger Pro weed killer.

Ranger Pro is produced by Monsanto, an agricultural chemical giant known for its Glyphosate-based products, such as Ready Roundup.

Glyphosate, a synthetic herbicide, is employed for weed control across the world. It is extensively used, with hundreds of millions of pounds applied each year, and residue has been detected in a wide variety of food products.

In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the World Health Organization, classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans."

Johnson's case marked the onset of a series of lawsuits, with tens of thousands of plaintiffs, claiming that Monsanto's glyphosate-based products caused their cancer.

Bayer, the parent company of Monsanto, maintains that these products are safe for use.

The documentary focuses on this pivotal trial and the release of the Monsanto Papers. These confidential documents expose Monsanto’s decade-long effort to distort the research behind Glyphosate’s potential to cause cancer.

Now why would a company put American citizens (and our planet) at risk?

Well, in just one year (2015), Monsanto made $4.75 BILLION in sales. And they’ve sold glyphosate-based products every year since it hit the market back in 1974.

Today, we’ll dive into my two biggest takeaways from the documentary, explore what this means in the current landscape, and discuss actionable steps we can take in response.

Be sure to read (or at least scroll) to the bottom for an important announcement.

Confounding Variables:

In 1983, Monsanto conducted a study examining the effects of glyphosate on mice. The results were concerning for Monsanto, as they indicated that some mice exposed to the chemical developed tumors at significant rates.

In response, Monsanto disputed these findings and introduced additional data that revealed that a tumor was found in a mouse in the control group.

Here’s the part that’s absolutely wild… just a few weeks earlier, an email was sent between Monsanto employees that said the following:

“Short of a new study or finding tumors in the control groups, what can we do to get this thing off group ‘C’?”

Group C refers to the carcinogen classification scale, as put forward by the Environmental Protection Agencies and outlined below.

This intercompany-email implies that there was an effort to dig through the control group, and the discovery rendered the initial results statistically insignificant— allowing Monsanto to secure a “non-carcinogenic” classification (Ground E) and sell its product around the world.

Fast forward 30 years, and the United States alone employs nearly 300 million pounds of glyphosate annually.

Yet we’re only beginning to uncover the adverse impacts this widespread use has on our health, food system, planet.

Ghostwriting The Main Safety Research:

Despite the tens of thousands of plaintiffs convinced that glyphosate caused their cancer, there’s one research paper - published in 2000 by Williams, Kroes, and Monroe - that’s consistently used to support the safety of Glyphosate.

The first sentence of the abstract section “concluded that there is no indication of any human health concern.”

Turns out, Monsanto scientists wrote the whole thing.

As revealed in the documentary, these “independent” researchers - Williams Kroes and Monroe - simply read & signed it for publication.

This arrangement, as well as numerous others mentioned in the documentary, exposes that Monsanto not only knew their product was harmful, but they were actively trying to cover it up.

Unveiling Human Health Risks:

Spoiler alert (that should be no surprise), but Lee Johnson ends up winning the trial, beginning a cascade of successful lawsuits against Monsanto.

As of September 2023, the company has paid $11 billion in fines for over 100,000 lawsuits involving Roundup & other glyphosate products.

Considering this - why would we expect a carcinogenic chemical to have no impacts to human health upon consumption?

That’s the current view according to the EPA, which allows it to be sprayed all over the world. More than half of American crops are estimated to be impacted.

Fortunately, though - that’s beginning to shift as numerous scientists and doctors are positing that glyphosate is largely responsible for the rise in the chronic disease.

For example, Stephanie Seneff, Ph.D., a senior research scientist at MIT, has published a new book, “Toxic Legacy: How the Weedkiller Glyphosate Is Destroying Our Health and the Environment.”

She points to compelling evidence that links glyphosate usage to the rise in celiac disease, as mentioned in this article that introduces the book quite well.

I also found this Reddit thread quite interesting: 20 images of graphs and tables that link glyphosate to chronic diseases.

And if you’re especially science-minded, here’s an excerpt from a NIH study from 2021: Toxic Effects of Glyphosate on the Nervous System: A Systematic Review.

“Glyphosate also seems to exert a significant toxic effect on neurotransmission and to induce oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction…the doses of glyphosate that produce these neurotoxic effects vary widely but are lower than the limits set by regulatory agencies.”

Hopefully it’s now clear that there’s some issues at hand.

But this newsletter is geared not just around awareness, but also solutions.

The most effective way to minimize your exposure to Glyphosate is buying Organic produce, as it is not sprayed with synthetic herbicides, by definition.

Educating yourself and those around you of these risks is another solid step. You can consider listening to one of the podcasts linked below or even sharing this newsletter with a friend/family member.

But there’s an upcoming event that will provide all of those things at once: education, entertainment, community, and great food.

The Future of Food Conference will be held in Philadelphia on Saturday, October 20, 2023.

Hosted in the beautiful CYTO|PHL building, the conference will feature nearly twenty speakers with a wide range of experiences— wellness experts, entrepreneurs, chefs, and so much more.

It’s located right next to 30th street station and tickets are only $75.

The start-up I work for, Gardyn, will be a featured vendor, so it’ll be the perfect opportunity to come learn about our AI-driven indoor garden technology, pictured below.

Our CEO, FX Roxel will be one of the keynote speakers - sharing about his experience founding Gardyn, growing it to nearly 40,000 customers, and how it can make eating vegetables easier, more nutritious, and more delicious.

Moreover, my partner, Nadine, as well as her colleague, Kegan Hilaire, will also be speaking on the behalf of the Rodale Institute about regenerative organic agriculture and the link to human health.

It’s going to be an incredible day learning about the future of food and connecting with others that share the passion for reimagining the future of food.

Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.

I greatly appreciate your support - reading this, and maybe even— engaging on a deeper level at the Future of Food conference.

I would love to see you there.

Until next time.

Be well,

Aidan