Report Decries “Cover-Up” Of Scientific Evidence That Herbicide Roundup Causes Birth Defects

A report by a group of scientists and researchers says that the chemical industry and regulatory authorities in Europe has known for decades ago that the herbicide Roundup causes birth defects in lab animals, but did not share their knowledge with the public. One of the industry studies reporting on the damaging effect of Roundup’s active ingredient glyphosate was conducted by the product’s manufacturer, Monsanto. The report says German officials knew about the harmful effects – at low doses – as long ago as 1990, and the European Commission has been aware of the problem since 2002. According to one of the authors, Claire Robinson, the report sheds light on “a thirty-year cover-up by industry and regulators” that “has certainly placed the public at risk.”