For Immediate Release, Wednesday, October 4
 

US Cancer Victims Call Monsanto’s Weed Killer a People Killer - Caution EU Regulators Ahead of Key Meeting

Brussels -- One day before European governments meet to discuss a new license for glyphosate, two Americans suing Monsanto have come to Brussels to warn European officials of the cancer risk posed by glyphosate.

Teri McCall’s husband died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma after using RoundUp for 30 years, and John Barton is a farmer who used the pesticide for 30 years and is currently battling non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Both are plaintiffs in legal cases against Monsanto in California, accusing the company of hiding evidence about the safety of glyphosate. Accompanying McCall and Barton in Brussels are their lawyers, Michael Baum and Brent Wisner, who published the so-called Monsanto Papers -- hundreds of internal Monsanto documents showing what company employees knew about their products’ links to cancer.

Teri McCall said: "I lost the love of my life and can’t help thinking that if he hadn’t used Roundup he would still be here. Monsanto lied to him claiming it was safe, and we are still being lied to. Now Europe has the opportunity to stop one of the biggest scams of the century and protect its citizens. I hope they will make the right choice."

John Barton said: "Since 1975 I sprayed thousands of gallons of Roundup on our family farm, they always said it was safe. Sometimes my boots, socks and jeans where drenched from Roundup. I would have never done that had I known that Roundup causes cancer - now we need to warn other people."

Currently, two-thirds of Europeans support a ban for glyphosate and more than 2 million people have signed an Avaaz petition calling for its suspension until it is proven safe. With this mounting public pressure and disagreement among Member States, the European Commission has so far been forced to delay its decisions over glyphosate’s imminent 10-year licensing renewal. Currently, France, Austria and Italy have signaled that they will vote against the renewal. Regulators only have a few weeks left before the licence expires.  

Luis Morago, Avaaz Campaign Director, said: “The evidence is damning: Monsanto knows that our bodies absorb glyphosate and it’s possibly giving us cancer and they’re doing their best to fight regulation anyway. It’s unconscionable. We’re talking about a pesticide that is covering the world’s parks, playgrounds and food.  It’s time EU governments ban glyphosate and shift us towards a safe and sustainable future”.

In June, after UN experts found the pesticide probably carcinogenic, California became the first US state to require Monsanto to label its RoundUp weedkiller as such.

ENDS