Monsanto / Roundup Trial: Complainant's testimony expected Monday

Monsanto / Roundup Trial: Complainant's testimony expected Monday
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POOL / AFP
/ JOSH EDELSON

Delayed cancer patient Dewayne Johnson is scheduled to testify in San Francisco court on Monday in a lawsuit against agrochemical giant Monsanto, accused of hiding the character Carcinogenic of its flagship herbicide, Roundup.

This testimony, expected to last all day, is highly anticipated in this trial, the first of its kind regarding the potentially carcinogenic effects of this widely used chemical in the world, and this For decades

Dewayne Johnson, a father of two, was diagnosed two years ago with an incurable non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which resulted in numerous lesions on her body. Between 2012 and 2014, he sprayed Roundup on school grounds in a small town in California, in the western United States, whose active ingredient is glyphosate, an effective and controversial herbicide.

this 46-year-old American is the product that caused his illness, and Monsanto, which has just been bought by the German Bayer, knowingly concealed its dangerousness when it should have included a warning on the Packing

"Monsanto has known for 40 years that the basic components of Roundup can cause tumors in laboratory animals," said one of the plaintiff's lawyers, Brent Wisner, on the first day of the trial, on 9 July

"Monsanto used all the means at its disposal to scare scientists and oppose researchers," he said.

The task of the prosecution is arduous because it involves convincing the jurors of the link between Roundup and cancer of Dewayne Johnson while it has not been scientifically proven despite long years of debate

For its part, Monsanto has since the beginning of the trial to refute any link between glyphosate and cancer, scientific studies in support, which are disputed by the anti-glyphosates.

Monday's hearing will be a delicate pbadage for Monsanto, as the testimony of Dewayne Johnson is poignant.

"The cancer of M Johnson is a terrible disease and we must all have the greatest empathy for the ordeal he is going through, "said one of the Monsanto group's lawyers at the opening of the trial, George Lombardi.

Studies subject to bail?

"Scientific evidence shows that glyphosate-based products do not cause cancer and have not resulted in the cancer of Mr. Johnson," he argued, however.

The defense of Mr. Johnson has Hoping "as much as possible" in damages from Monsanto, which is the subject of thousands of lawsuits in the United States, at varying degrees of advancement.

Marketed since 1974, the Roundup , one of the most widely used herbicides in the world, contains glyphosate, which is the subject of conflicting studies and advice.

Unlike the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), California, where San Francisco is located, has put glyphosate on the list of carcinogens.

Glyphosate is also a "probable carcinogen" since 2015 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, an organ of the Organization World Health Organization (WHO), but not by European agencies, Efsa (food safety) and Echa (chemicals)

Glyphosate is particularly controversial in Europe. Following the decision of the European Union in November to renew the license for the herbicide for five years, a few days after its expiry, the French government undertook to stop using this substance for the main uses of the herbicide. three years ago

Glyphosate is however favored by growers for its efficiency and low cost.

Critics criticize European Union scientific agencies for relying too much on data provided by the European Union. industry, lack of means and personnel, questioning published studies.

The Mansanto trial is expected to last at least until August.

23/07/2018 04:11:04 –
San Francisco (AFP) –
© 2018 AFP