Bayer's Roundup lawsuits face Supreme Court challenge and contested Missouri settlement

A coalition of sustainable farmers has filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reject Bayer/Monsanto's bid for immunity in the ongoing Roundup cancer lawsuits. The brief argues that the company must warn about the health risks of glyphosate, citing thousands of cancer claims and more than 100,000 lawsuits filed nationwide. Farmers say dependence on glyphosate threatens agriculture, farmworkers and communities, and that alternative practices such as cover cropping are available.

At the same time, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco raised "grave concerns" about a proposed $7.25 billion class‑action settlement reached in a Missouri state court. He questioned whether the deal can bind future claimants outside Missouri, criticized its opt‑out provisions, and warned the settlement may not adequately protect the rights of plaintiffs elsewhere. Bayer maintains that glyphosate is safe, citing EPA findings that it is "unlikely to be a human carcinogen," and pointed out that the residential version was withdrawn in 2023. The company hopes the settlement will compensate current and future Roundup victims, while the judge indicated the matter could be revisited in higher courts.