Bayer backs broadened effort to shield popular weedkiller from claims it failed to warn of cancer

A renewed and expanded effort from chemical giant Bayer to shield itself from lawsuits that claim its popular weedkiller Roundup causes cancer brought dozens of protesters to the Iowa Capitol building Monday begging lawmakers to reject it.

The legislation, pending in Iowa and at least seven other states, would protect pesticide companies from claims they failed to warn that their product causes cancer if the product label otherwise complies with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations.

Similar efforts failed during 2024 legislative sessions in Iowa, Missouri and Idaho. But this year, Bayer and a coalition of agricultural groups are doubling down. A broader media campaign is highlighting the importance of glyphosate-based Roundup for American agriculture. And they are getting help from a group that ran a Super Bowl ad in Missouri asserting the legislation is necessary to combat Chinese influence over the U.S. food supply.

Opponents, including those who rallied Monday in Des Moines, say the bills would limit the rights of people to hold companies accountable if their products cause harm. Speakers took turns telling stories of family members throughout the state who have been diagnosed with cancers and shouted out to lawmakers that Iowa’s people are more important than corporate profits.

“I feel like we need accountability here in Iowa,” said Nick Schutt, a part-time farmer whose mother, father, aunt and two siblings have all had cancer diagnoses. “At the end of the day, multinational chemical companies like Bayer should be held accountable.”

Bayer disputes the claims that Roundup causes cancer, but the company has been hit with about 177,000 lawsuits involving the weedkiller and has set aside $16 billion to settle cases. It contends those legal costs are “not sustainable” and is looking for relief from lawmakers concerned about the possibility that Roundup could be pulled from the U.S. market.

For crops including corn, soybeans and cotton, Roundup is designed to work with genetically modified seeds that resist the weedkiller’s deadly effect. It allows farmers to produce more crops while conserving the soil by tilling it less.

“It is the most important product in global agriculture,” Liza Lockwood, Bayer’s medical affairs lead in its crop science division, said during a recent Missouri Senate committee hearing.

Some farmers have echoed that assertion. If lawsuits force Roundup off the U.S. market, they contend that Chinese-made products may be the only alternative.

“Losing access to this one safe and effective tool will set off a domino effect that will threaten family farmers and our state’s economy,” Kevin Ross, a farmer from southwest Iowa, said to Iowa lawmakers. Ross detailed how, for 50 years, the American-made product has increased soil quality, decreased water runoff and helped struggling farmers turn a profit.