The History of Monsanto: From Toxic Herbicides to Seed Monopolies and Cancer Lawsuits

Veritasium

The Origin of Selective Herbicides [0:00]

• The story begins in 1942 with chemist Franklin D. Jones, who sought to kill poison ivy that caused severe reactions in his children. [1:31]
• Jones experimented with plant hormones and discovered 2,4-D, a synthetic hormone that, in high concentrations, caused uncontrollable growth leading to plant death. [1:51]
  • 2,4-D was a selective herbicide, killing broad-leaved weeds like dandelions and poison ivy, but leaving grass species (like wheat, corn, barley) largely unaffected. [3:31]
  • He further refined the chemical, adding another chlorine atom to create 2,4,5-T, which was even more selective. [3:50]
  • This discovery revolutionized farming by providing a way to kill weeds without manually pulling them or using dangerous non-selective chemicals like arsenic. [4:06]
• Jones patented these selective herbicides in 1945, and similar discoveries were made independently by other scientists in the US and UK. [4:27]
• By the late 1940s, the herbicide business, fueled by products like Weedone and Endo-Weed, grew into a $10 million industry. [5:11]

Monsanto’s Hidden Toxicity Problem [5:18]

• Monsanto entered the herbicide market, operating a major 2,4,5-T factory in Nitro, West Virginia. [5:29]
• In 1949, an explosion at the Nitro plant released a black, stinking powder, causing over a hundred workers to fall ill with severe headaches, nausea, and an eruptive skin condition known as chloracne. [5:36]
  • Monsanto's doctors noted a strong odor from the affected workers, suspecting they were excreting an unknown chemical. [6:17]
  • Despite early marketing claiming 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T were safe, Monsanto couldn't identify the cause of the workers' symptoms. [6:39]
• Workers were given a choice: continue working with the hazardous chemicals or leave, with many opting to stay due to lack of other employment opportunities. [7:28]
• In 1957, German dermatologist Karl Schulz treated patients with similar symptoms who worked in 2,4,5-T factories. [7:47]
  • Schulz discovered that trace amounts of dioxin, a byproduct formed when tetrachlorobenzene (an ingredient for 2,4,5-T) is heated above 170 degrees Celsius, was the culprit. [8:23]
  • He tested dioxin-contaminated TCP on his own skin and developed the same acne as the factory workers. [10:28]
• Schulz informed German chemical producers, who then warned Monsanto and Dow about dioxin contamination. Monsanto denied receiving the letters, and Dow claimed they were misfiled. [10:40]
• Both companies were aware of dioxin's toxicity but chose not to inform the public or regulators. [11:12]

Vietnam and Agent Orange [11:17]

• In 1961, the US began Operation Ranch Hand in Vietnam, using Agent Orange, a 50/50 mixture of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T, to defoliate jungles and expose Viet Cong hiding spots. [12:02]
  • Monsanto was the largest supplier of Agent Orange. [12:21]
  • The US government assured the public that Agent Orange was non-toxic to humans and animals. [12:36]
• Internal communications between Dow and Monsanto in 1965 revealed their knowledge that dioxin was "the most toxic compound they have ever experienced" and caused "incapacitating chloracne." [12:45]
  • Despite this, neither company warned the US government, fearing industry repercussions. [13:02]
• The spraying of 72 million liters of Agent Orange, containing 80 liters of dioxin, led to widespread skin diseases, cancers, and birth defects in millions of Vietnamese civilians and American soldiers. [13:24]
• Public outcry and a petition from 5,000 scientists led to the phasing out of Agent Orange, putting Monsanto's 2,4,5-T business under scrutiny. [13:53]

The Rise of Roundup [14:08]

• Monsanto sought a replacement herbicide and, in 1970, chemist John E. Franz discovered glyphosate. [14:18]
  • Glyphosate was found to be 10 times more powerful than any previously known herbicide. [15:13]
  • Its mechanism of action involves inhibiting the Shikimate pathway, a metabolic process unique to plants, bacteria, and fungi, which is essential for producing three vital amino acids. [15:58]
  • Glyphosate binds to the EPSPS enzyme, blocking the pathway and killing the plant. [16:29]
• Crucially, humans and animals do not possess the Shikimate pathway, allowing Monsanto to market glyphosate as safe for humans and pets, claiming it targets only plant enzymes. [16:53]
  • It was also marketed as biodegradable, breaking down into safe byproducts in the soil. [17:19]
• In 1974, Monsanto launched Roundup, which killed all types of weeds, facilitating "no-till farming" – a method that saves labor and benefits soil health. [17:31]
• By the late 1980s, Roundup sales reached seven million pounds annually, generating over a billion dollars for Monsanto, who held the exclusive patent until 2000. [18:28]
  • Unlike other herbicides, glyphosate's molecule could not be easily modified without losing its herbicidal properties, securing Monsanto's monopoly. [19:00]

Monsanto's Control Over Seeds [19:31]

• The problem with Roundup was its non-selective nature; it killed all plants, including crops. [19:17]
• Monsanto's strategy was to create crops resistant to Roundup, allowing farmers to spray the herbicide year-round without harming their main crop. [19:43]
  • Initial attempts to overproduce EPSPS in petunias failed to provide sufficient resistance. [20:07]
• In a "Manhattan Project" style race against competitors, Monsanto discovered a glyphosate-resistant strain of salmonella in sludge from one of its factories. [20:57]
  • The salmonella had mutated its EPSPS enzyme, preventing glyphosate from binding. [21:33]
  • Monsanto used gene guns to insert this salmonella DNA into plant cells, creating genetically modified (GMO) Roundup Ready seeds. [21:45]
• By 1998, Monsanto had patents for Roundup Ready canola, corn, and cotton, which rapidly dominated the market, with over 70% of US soybeans being Monsanto's by 2001. [22:30]
• Farmers were required to sign a Technology Use Agreement to buy Roundup Ready seeds, which stipulated: [23:03]
  • Farmers could not save or replant seeds from their harvest. [23:18]
  • Farmers could not share or sell seeds to others. [23:36]
  • Monsanto reserved the right to access farmers' land for inspection and sampling. [23:44]
  • Acceptance of these terms was implied simply by opening a bag of seeds. [24:14]

The Crop Mafia and Farmer Intimidation [26:06]

• The widespread adoption of Roundup Ready seeds was partly driven by fear, as herbicide drift from a neighbor's field could destroy non-resistant crops. [26:07]
• Monsanto aggressively enforced its patent rights, becoming a dominant force in the seed industry. [26:28]
• They employed private detectives and ex-police officers to inspect farms, used planes and helicopters for aerial surveillance, and operated a 1-800-ROUNDUP hotline for farmers to report neighbors. [27:50]
  • This created deep mistrust and paranoia in rural communities, with some farmers even contemplating planting unauthorized seeds on rivals' land to destroy them. [28:37]
• Despite a 2010 commitment to ethical behavior and transparency, Monsanto continued its aggressive tactics. [28:50]
• By 2013, Monsanto had sued over 400 farmers, collecting over $20 million, driving many into bankruptcy or forcing them into out-of-court settlements due to prohibitive legal fees. [29:12]
• The tensions escalated to tragic events, such as the 2016 murder of farmer Mike Wallace, who suspected his non-GMO soybean field was damaged by herbicide drift from a neighbor using Monsanto's Dicamba. [29:57]
  • Wallace's murder highlighted the extreme consequences of the conflict within farming communities spurred by Monsanto's practices. [30:55]

The Monsanto Papers and Legal Reckoning [31:10]

• In March 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an independent science panel, classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans," causing shock, especially to Monsanto. [31:20]
  • This contradicted the findings of other major health organizations like the EPA and WHO, which had deemed glyphosate non-carcinogenic. [31:56]
• California lawyer Brent Wisner investigated claims that Roundup caused non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in users, gathering evidence from affected farmers. [33:03]
• Wisner, along with other lawyers and an investigative journalist, launched a lawsuit against Monsanto, compelling them to release internal documents. [34:01]
• The "Monsanto Papers" revealed a pattern of deception and manipulation: [34:26]
  • Monsanto suppressed data showing kidney tumors in mice exposed to glyphosate, lobbying the EPA to reverse its classification of glyphosate as a "possible human carcinogen" to "non-carcinogenic" by 1991. [34:44]
  • A key 2000 "independent" safety paper (Williams, Kroes, and Munro), widely cited by regulators, was ghostwritten by Monsanto's toxicology director, William Heydens. [35:47]
  • Monsanto engaged in a "Let Nothing Go" strategy to aggressively discredit critics, influence media, and manipulate scientific discourse. [38:47]
• The public release of these documents in 2017 fueled widespread outrage and led to over 3,000 plaintiffs joining lawsuits against Monsanto. [37:35]
• As the first lawsuit began, Monsanto was acquired by German chemical giant Bayer in 2018. [40:01]
  • This acquisition was financially disastrous for Bayer, with its stock plummeting due to the ensuing legal battles. [40:43]
• Dewayne Lee Johnson, a school groundskeeper who developed NHL after Roundup exposure, won the first trial against Monsanto-Bayer, being awarded $289 million in damages. [40:53]
• By 2025, Bayer had settled over 100,000 cancer lawsuits related to Roundup, totaling over $10 billion. [41:09]

The Ongoing Debate: How Dangerous is Roundup? [41:18]

• Despite billions in settlements, Bayer continues to deny that glyphosate is a carcinogen. [41:20]
• IARC's classification of glyphosate as a "probable carcinogen" is based on concerns regarding genotoxicity (DNA damage) from high exposure and disruption of the gut microbiome in humans from ingested trace amounts. [42:02]
• Glyphosate is in the same IARC classification category as eating red meat or working night shifts, considered less dangerous than "certain carcinogens" like alcohol or tobacco. [42:41]
• While many people may not be affected, high exposure is associated with a modest increase in certain cancers, especially for sensitive individuals. [43:22]
• The EPA and other organizations still disagree with IARC, claiming glyphosate is not a likely carcinogen, but US courts have repeatedly found the EPA's analyses to be inadequate. [43:43]
• Industry-funded studies are estimated to account for a significant portion of glyphosate safety research, raising concerns about scientific independence. [44:05]
• Due to public backlash, lawsuits, and the rise of glyphosate-resistant weeds (over 60 species since the 1970s), Bayer has removed glyphosate from many commercial Roundup products, often replacing it with 2,4-D. [44:48]
  • The infiltration of academia and manipulation of scientific results by large companies like Monsanto contribute to public distrust in science. [45:42]