DES MOINES, Iowa — An intensified initiative by Bayer, the chemical corporation, is seeking to protect itself from lawsuits alleging that its well-known herbicide Roundup leads to cancer. This effort drew a significant number of protesters to the Iowa Capitol on Monday, urging state lawmakers to reject the proposed legislation.
The pending bill, which is being considered in Iowa along with at least seven other states, aims to shield pesticide manufacturers from legal claims that they neglected to warn consumers about cancer risks, provided that the product labels comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines. Similar legislative attempts saw failure during the 2024 sessions in Iowa, Missouri, and Idaho. However, this year Bayer, along with agricultural allies, is ramping up its lobbying efforts and launching a media campaign to emphasize the importance of glyphosate-based Roundup in American farming. They are also receiving support from an organization that previously aired a commercial during the Super Bowl in Missouri, claiming the legislation is vital to counteract Chinese influence in the U.S. food supply.
Critics, including the demonstrators at the Iowa Capitol, argue that such bills undermine the ability of individuals to hold corporations accountable for potential harm caused by their products. Protesters shared personal stories of relatives who have battled cancer, urging lawmakers to prioritize the welfare of Iowa residents over corporate interests. “We need accountability here in Iowa,” asserted Nick Schutt, a part-time farmer whose close family members have faced cancer diagnoses. “Multinational chemical companies like Bayer must be held responsible.”
Bayer maintains that Roundup does not cause cancer, yet the company is facing roughly 177,000 lawsuits related to the herbicide and has allocated $16 billion to settle these legal challenges. The corporation argues that these legal expenses are “not sustainable” and is seeking legislative relief amid concerns that Roundup may be withdrawn from the U.S. market.
Roundup is predominantly utilized with genetically engineered crops like corn, soybeans, and cotton, allowing farmers to produce higher yields while minimizing soil degradation through reduced tillage practices. “It is the most important product in global agriculture,” stated Liza Lockwood, Bayer’s medical affairs lead in its crop sciences sector, during a recent Senate committee session in Missouri.
Some farmers echoed this sentiment, raising alarms that if legal actions force the removal of Roundup from the market, the only substitute may be products manufactured in China. Kevin Ross, a farmer from the southwestern region of Iowa, addressed lawmakers, explaining how Roundup has contributed to soil health, reduced water runoff, and helped farmers maintain profitability for half a century.
In efforts to expand the legislative landscape, last year Bayer concentrated its lobbying activities on Missouri, Iowa, and Idaho—key locations for its North American crop science operations, its Roundup manufacturing site, and phosphate mines supplying its main ingredient. Although legislative proposals passed in one chamber in Iowa and Missouri, they ultimately failed to gain traction. This year, bills that would offer legal protection against failure-to-warn lawsuits have successfully passed the North Dakota House without opposition. Similar provisions have seen initial approval in Iowa, Mississippi, and Missouri, while pending bills are being considered in Florida, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. One proposal did not advance from a Wyoming committee by the required deadline.
Bayer representatives indicated efforts are also underway in Georgia, Idaho, and at the federal level. The Modern Ag Alliance, a coalition backing Bayer, has initiated a wider campaign across various states. This year, a new participant, the Protecting America Initiative—affiliated with former Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell—has surfaced. The organization, concerned about China’s economic influence, aired a commercial during the Super Bowl in Missouri urging support for the legislation. They have invested significantly to disseminate this message throughout Missouri and Iowa, even displaying a mobile billboard outside the Iowa Capitol on Monday, promoting the need to prevent Chinese-made chemicals from “infiltrating American farms.”
Concerns relating to cancer and pesticide use have become focal points in this debate. Supportive advertisements for the legislation have highlighted the crucial role of Bayer’s weed-control products in agriculture. One advertisement stated, “Farming’s hard, but it’s a little easier with glyphosate.” This sentiment sparked outrage from residents like Kim Hagemann, a Des Moines suburb dweller, who called attention to the personal struggles caused by cancer, emphasizing the need for accountability.
While some studies link glyphosate to cancer risks, the EPA has classified it as unlikely to be carcinogenic to humans under appropriate usage guidelines. Nevertheless, multiple lawsuits against Bayer claim that glyphosate is responsible for causing non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Among those taking legal action is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominated to be Secretary of Health and Human Services by former President Donald Trump. Although this agency oversees the Food and Drug Administration, it does not govern the EPA or its labeling regulations.
The legislation pushed by Bayer would provide a defensive measure against failure-to-warn claims, not just for Roundup, but for other pesticides that adhere to EPA labeling standards. Des Moines cancer physician Richard Deming remarked that determining a causal relationship between cancer and protracted exposure to chemical substances often spans decades. He emphasized that public policy should prioritize minimizing risks to human health rather than granting “immunity from responsibility.” “While I don’t believe agricultural chemicals are as significant a cause of cancer as cigarette smoking,” he explained, studies indicate a correlation between chemical exposure and cancer rates in Iowa.
