The California court sentenced Monsanto, which has recently been bought out by the German Bayer, to pay 250 million USD in punitive damages and 39.2 million USD in compensatory damages.
Glyphosate in Monsanto herbicides has caused the gardener’s cancer
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Between 2012 and 2014, Dewayne Johnson was in prolonged contact with Roundup and RangerPro herbicides whose active ingredient is glyphosate. The molecule, which has been suspected to be carcinogenic for decades, is still present in a large number of herbicides, including those of Monsanto.
Intensive use of glyphosate poses a risk to human beings, to animals and to the environment. However, the risk may be described as acceptable when the product is used in accordance with the instructions specified by the supplier.
Dewayne Johnson, the first individual to drag Monsanto through the courts
Dewayne Johnson is the first individual to drag giant US agrochemical company Monsanto through the courts and to win the lawsuit. The jurors are convinced that Roundup weedkiller has contributed to the deterioration of D. Johnson's health condition irreversibly.
The 46-year-old man had claimed more than 400 million USD in compensation from the Roundup manufacturer who was ordered to pay 289 million USD.
* Monsanto has announced its intention to appeal this decision.
The Monsanto Papers: The Danger of Roundup Revealed
While Dewayne Johnson's lawsuit against Monsanto has recently highlighted the harmfulness of glyphosate products, warnings about the safety of Roundup Herbicide have grown stronger over the years.
The publication of the "Monsanto Papers" in 2015 marks a turning point in the battle between Monsanto and the plaintiffs. These internal documents were obtained in the context of legal proceedings led by journalist Carey Gillam and lawyer Kathryn Forgie to dispose of the archives of the biotechnology specialist.
The thousands of documents produced show Monsanto's links with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to hide the dangers of glyphosate in 1986. They also decipher the means used to disavow the scientific publications of James biologists. Mr. Parry in 1999 and Gilles-Éric Séralini in 2012.
The thousands of documents produced show Monsanto's relationship with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to hide the dangers of glyphosate in 1986. They also decrypt the means used to disavow the scientific publications of biologists James M. Parry in 1999 and Gilles-Éric Séralini in 2012.