Tralee Snape (above) believes her non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma was caused by the chemical glyphosate. (ABC Rural: Josh Becker)
When a San Francisco jury ordered Monsanto to pay $289.2 million to former school groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson, currently dying of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma due to his use of Roundup, it worried some Australian farmers but relieved others. Because a growing number of them “want a review of the use of the chemical”1 in the country.
“NSW South Coast farmer Tralee Snape was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2010, and said her oncologist called it a ‘farmer’s cancer’. ‘He said he couldn’t prove that himself, but from the patients he has there is a link to chemical sprays that are on a farm,’ she said. She now believes her cancer was caused by glyphosate, the most commonly used herbicide in the world.”2
But still other farmers report being “comfortable” using the dangerous weed-killer, glyphosate. Central Queensland cotton farmer Peter Foxwell said, “We use glyphosate, as many farmers do, and most farmers would use any chemical within label or chemical registrations, and that’s for their own safety and the safety of the environment and surrounding crops and animals. So we continue and most farmers who use Roundup I’m guessing would probably continue to use it in a safe manner.”3
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While some farmers may fear the chemical and stop using it, many will continue:
- National regulator the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) announced that APVMA-approved products containing glyphosate could continue to be used safely according to label directions.
- Australian DIY giant Bunnings will continue to stock Roundup.
- Mitre 10, Coles, Home Timber and Hardware, Hardings, Thrifty Link Hardware and True Value Hardware will also continue to stock Roundup.
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