Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup is one of 750 U.S. products containing the active ingredient glyphosate, the safety of which has been disputed for years. Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide used widely in large-scale agriculture, forestry and industrial weed control, and in lawn and garden care. Glyphosate is also known as a “systemic” herbicide, meaning that it is absorbed into every part of the plant, from the roots to the leaves. Evidence suggests that glyphosate may pose animal and human health risks. Nevertheless, glyphosate use on Roundup Ready crops has grown steadily, with application doubling between 2001 and 2007. Independent research on glyphosate has linked the chemical with cell toxicity, neurotoxicity (including Parkinson’s disease
