Melbourne - A gardener with cancer has launched
Australia's first legal action against global agribusiness giant
Monsanto, owned by Bayer, over its popular Roundup weedkiller.
Michael Ogalirolo, 54, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in
2011 after regularly using the herbicide for his work as a
self-employed landscape gardener over an 18-year period, the Sydney
Morning Herald reported on Tuesday.
The lawsuit, filed at the Victorian Supreme Court on Monday, alleged
Monsanto Australia failed to warn users that Roundup products are dangerous to
human health, including that they cause cancer.
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, has been linked with
cancer after a finding by the International Agency for Research on
Cancer in 2015.
Bayer, the German parent company of Monsanto, said it was aware of
media reports but had not received a writ of the Australian case.
"We have great sympathy for any individual with cancer, but the
extensive body of science on glyphosate-based herbicides over four
decades supports the conclusion that Roundup does not cause
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL)," Bayer said.
It said extensive studies by scientists and regulators found that
glyphosate "is not carcinogenic" and the company will stand by its
"products and will vigorously defend them".
But Sanchia Aranda, the chief executive of Cancer Council Australia,
said people should avoid the use of glyphosate products "if it is not
necessary and those who do need to work with it should take proper
health and safety precautions."
In May, a jury in California awarded a US couple a payout of $2
billion after ruling that Roundup caused them to fall ill
with cancer.