ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
OCTOBER 21, 202012:12 PMUPDATED 8 HOURS AGO
Monsanto loses final appeal over French farmer's weedkiller accident
By Reuters Staff



PARIS (Reuters) - Bayer's BAYGn.DE Monsanto division on Wednesday lost a final appeal in a long-running French legal battle in which the crop chemical maker has been held liable for the accidental inhalation of a weedkiller by a crop farmer.


FILE PHOTO: The logo of Monsanto is seen at the Monsanto factory in Peyrehorade, France, August 23, 2019. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
Monsanto had been trying to overturn a decision by an appeals court in 2019 that had found the company’s product safety information to have been inadequate in relation to the accident involving farmer Paul Francois in 2004.

France’s highest court rejected Monsanto’s latest appeal in a ruling published on Wednesday, opening the way for another court to decide on what damages should be awarded to Francois.

The farmer has argued that the fumes he inhaled from the weedkiller Lasso, a product that was subsequently withdrawn from the French market, caused neurological problems, including memory loss, fainting and headaches.

Bayer said in an emailed statement that it was reviewing the court ruling. Bayer also said in the statement that court-appointed medical experts had found previously that the incident did not cause the illnesses cited by Francois.

Crop protection products “do not present a risk to human health if they are used under the conditions of use defined in the context of their marketing authorisation,” Bayer said.

Anti-pesticide group Generations Futures, which has supported Francois in his court case, said it welcomed “this historic decision in which an agro-chemical multinational is at last found liable for the harm caused to this courageous farmer.”

Francois has previously sought damages of around 1 million euros ($1.2 million).

Bayer, which acquired Monsanto for $63 billion in 2018, has been facing a wave of litigation in the United States over allegations that Monsanto’s glyphosate-based weedkiller Roundup causes cancer.

Bayer, which argues Roundup is safe, is trying to settle the litigation through a proposed $11 billion payment.

Reporting by Gus Trompiz. Editing by Jane Merriman

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Hmmm, so don't inhale weedkiller. Good to know.

Sorry, my blood boils when these kinds of lawsuits arise. Like how we need a cup that says hot all over it because someone made a suite against mcdonalds for their hot coffee burning them. Uuugg.

Don't drink it or take a bath in it either. Not a fan of Monsanto but Roundup following the label guidelines is a useful tool. They may be charged and charged but I bet no money ever changes hands. One more caveat," Don't eat the yellow snow."

Rockoe10 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 22, 2020 10:21 am Sorry, my blood boils when these kinds of lawsuits arise. Like how we need a cup that says hot all over it because someone made a suite against mcdonalds for their hot coffee burning them. Uuugg.

I don't recall seeing any cups that say "hot" all over. Can you cite an example?

The McDonald's case is different, I think. The coffee was served at 180-190 deg when typical home machines are 30 deg less. I don't think one can drink that right away

This man did not intentionally sniff glyphosate in his garage or something. He was using it on his farm. The point of the lawsuit was that insufficient instructions were provided on how to use the product safely. The courts agreed that the safety instructions were inadequate. I don't understand why people are so quick to blame this farmer.

It's worth noting that RoundUp / glyphosate is frequently sprayed on food crops pre-harvest (wheat, oats, peas, beans, flax, potatoes and more). I guess common sense says don't inhale it, don't bathe in it, don't drink it, but millions of people are eating it every single day.