The link between the health of our soil and the health of the foods grown in that soil has been proven time and again. The connection between the health of the foods we eat and our overall health—including our risk for developing diseases—is a no-brainer. At Guardian Soil Solutions we know that healing our soil, which includes removing toxins and add back in the nutrients and elements the soil needs, is a vital step in improving the healthfulness and bounty of our crops. The removal of toxins won’t just improve crop yields and farms’ bottom lines, it will also improve the health of our country’s citizens. A class-action lawsuit against the makers of glyphosate —the main ingredient in RoundUp—is making its way through the courts and highlighting the many connections between the chemical and serious diseases.
Glyphosate Lawsuits
Issues with glyphosate date back to a ruling in 2015 by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer that classified glyphosate as Group 2A, or “probably carcinogenic to humans.” This classification indicates limited current direct evidence but maintains that a positive link exists between the chemical and cancer.
Then, in 2016, California added glyphosate to its list of known carcinogens and tried to enact a requirement that Roundup feature a warning label. The issue is still being decided by the courts.
Then, a class-action lawsuit started in California in 2017 with numerous plaintiffs suing Monsanto, claiming that the chemical causes numerous forms of cancers, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, b-cell lymphoma, leukemia, and more. Since then, hundreds of lawsuits have been brought against Monsanto, alleging the glyphosate in RoundUp causes cancer. The latest trial is expected to get underway in June 2018.
There is not yet a smoking gun linking glyphosate with cancer, but it’s an issue that many of our clients have direct experience with. It also reinforces what we at Guardian Soil Solutions know to be true: unhealthy soils lead to an unhealthy population.
This column is sponsored by Guardian Soil Solutions, and the opinions expressed herein may not reflect those of CFAN or of its advertisers.
BIO: Josh Young is a proud former U.S. Marine and native of Plant City, Florida. His passion for helping growers led him to co-found Guardian Soil Solutions, a full-service agribusiness that focuses on soil health. Josh’s love of agriculture stems from his earliest days on his granddaddy’s farm. For more information about Josh and Guardian Soil Solutions, visit guardiansoilsolutions.com.
