Bayer faces calls for voluntary compensation after Chile court rejects Roundup lawsuit

Chile's Supreme Court has rejected a cassation appeal filed by the Organization of Consumers and Users (ODECU), effectively ending a five-year legal battle against Bayer and Arysta LifeScience. The class action lawsuit, initiated in 2021, alleged that the herbicide Roundup, which contains glyphosate, was linked to cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma among agricultural workers.

ODECU had sought compensation for material and moral damages for affected users or their heirs. While the judicial route in Chile has concluded with the dismissal of the claim, ODECU has called on Bayer to voluntarily implement information, assistance, and compensation mechanisms for those claiming exposure-related damages, similar to those the company has established in the United States.

In the U.S., Bayer has engaged in significant settlements to resolve Roundup-related litigation, including previous agreements totaling approximately US$10 billion and a more recent proposed national settlement of up to US$7.25 billion to address current and future claims. Bayer has maintained that these settlements do not constitute an admission of liability or misconduct.