WHO: Popular weed killer'Roundup' likely causes cancer

Kenya: Roundup, a widely used weed-killer in the country, probably causes cancer, according to a new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

In the local market, about 30 generic versions of Roundup are some of the best-selling herbicides and most popular with farmers for their low cost and effectiveness.

Roundup is manufactured by the American seed giant Monsanto, and now the cancer arm of WHO is warning farmers to be careful when using the herbicide or its generics.

Roundup is made from the chemical glyphosate which was discovered by Monsanto in 1970 and distributed in global markets the same year.

Its patent expired in 2000, which opened a floodgate for generics but the original Roundup remains popular.

The use of Roundup has remained relevant with the introduction by Monsanto of genetically engineered crops that are tolerant to the chemical glyphosate.

The new WHO report that was published in Lancet last week on Friday puts glyphosate at the second-highest level of the agency’s classifications for cancer. The report says glyphosate has been detected in the blood and urine of agricultural workers, indicating that it is absorbed by the human body.

 GMO PRODUCTS

But in a rejoinder, Monsanto disagrees with the WHO classification of their product as a cancer risk, arguing that the action went against the available scientific evidence on the safety of glyphosate.

“We don’t know how the agency could reach a conclusion that is such a dramatic departure from the conclusion reached by all regulatory agencies around the globe,” says a statement released by Monsanto.

The company, which has been relentlessly pushing for the acceptance of its GMO products in Kenya, has issued an urgent request for WHO to present the scientific evidence it used to reach its conclusion on glyphosate.