The Roundup case exposes the hypocrisy of the green lobby

I am a bit confused: are scientists supposed to be the folk heroes of environmental activists or not? When the subject is climate change they certainly fulfil this role: the likes of Naomi Klein are forever pushing the conceit that some vast global capitalist conspiracy is engaged in the denial of scientific reason. But when the subject is the herbicide glyphosate? The great majority of scientists whose work has found it safe are dismissed as nothing more than dupes of agribusiness firm Monsanto.

Last week, Monsanto lost a court case against a school groundsman from California who claims his non-Hodgkins lymphona was caused by glyphosate in the Roundup herbicide he used as part of his job. The company, who was ordered to pay the groundsman £226m ($289m) in damages, says it will appeal. With due respect to the jury, its decision sits at odds with the bulk of scientific evidence. It is true that in 2015 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’ – a category in which it also includes red meat, hot beverages and working in shift patterns.