Glyphosate Concerns and Relevant Research

Does glyphosate cause cancer?

Recently the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) arm of the World Health Organization announced it has listed glyphosate as 2A “probably carcinogenic".

Carcinogenicity of tetrachlorvinphos, parathion, malathion, diazinon, and glyphosate
Watch this video to learn more about what 2A classification means for a chemical.
Glyphosate and Cancer: What does the data say?
Mink, P. J., Mandel, J. S., Sceurman, B. K., & Lundin, J. I. (2012).Epidemiologic studies of glyphosate and cancer: A review. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 63(3), 440-452. (This review was funded by Monsanto as the article above explains, use the cited literature as a starting point for your research)

Have other countries have banned glyphosate?

The answer to this one is tricky because yes, there are some countries that have banned glyphosate for specific uses but not an outright ban of glyphosate completely. For example, there have been headlines that Columbia banned glyphosate, but closer examination reveals that Columbia only banned aerial applications of glyphosate on illegal coca fields. France also banned glyphosate but only for over-the-counter sales in nurseries. It is worth noting that none of the world's leading agricultural countries have enacted bans on glyphosate.

Has California listed glyphosate as carcinogenic?

There is a proposed action that has not been completed yet to require manufacturers of glyphosate based herbicides to list the IARC's classification on the label for those products. California has some of the strictest pesticide/herbicide laws in the nation. If passed, this action will not change the sale or use of glyphosate in the state but the container label will have to show the IARC's 2A classification. As of 10/1/2015 the comment period for the proposed action has been extended through 10/20/2015.

CRNR Notice of Intent to List Chemicals

Does glyphosate exposure cause resistance to antibiotics?

There is very little research at this stage and too early to make a determination one way or another. As with everything it is going to depend on exposure, how long and what kind. Below is the first research on this topic.

Kurenbach, B., Marjoshi, D., Amábile-Cuevas, C. F., Ferguson, G. C., Godsoe, W., Gibson, P., & Heinemann, J. A. (2015). Sublethal Exposure to Commercial Formulations of the Herbicides Dicamba, 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid, and Glyphosate Cause Changes in Antibiotic Susceptibility in Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. mBio, 6(2), e00009-15.

Does glyphosate kill bees and monarchs?

Glyphosate does not directly kill bees or monarchs. Glyphosate and herbicides in general usually do little harm directly to animals. The real issue is agricultural practices that are removing host or food plants for these insects, either by habitat destruction to produce more agricultural land or by the overuse/overspray of herbicides killing the foraging plants. There are some products with label warnings urging caution around some animals and in some locations. Please keep in mind that for buffelgrass mitigation, land managers use very different procedures for applying herbicide than in agricultural settings.

Zhu, Y. C., Adamczyk, J., Rinderer, T., Yao, J., Danka, R., Luttrell, R., & Gore, J. (2015). Spray Toxicity and Risk Potential of 42 Commonly Used Formulations of Row Crop Pesticides to Adult Honey Bees. Journal of economic entomology, tov269.
National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators
In May 2015 the Obama administration released this strategy to promote pollinator health. There is no mention of glyphosate specifically in the document. Instead it calls for all herbicide use to be evaluated to better promote pollinator health, a review of agricultural practices to minimize habitat loss, and to promote restoring pollinator habitat.

In closing, be cognizant of the source of the information you are reading. If you are reading an online article (on Facebook, a blog, an ezine, etc) look for citations to the original research. If there are no citations or source links, be skeptical of the information. Examine the source link as well, often times articles are copied verbatim from another source (often without citations as well). Finding and Reading the original ariticles or research will help you make informed decisions.