Merchants of Poison: How Monsanto Sold the World on a Toxic Pesticide

Merchants of Poison details how pesticide giant Monsanto spent millions on deceptive communications strategies to convince the public that the world’s most widely used herbicide, Roundup, is “as safe as table salt.” Yet its main ingredient, glyphosate, was flagged as having the potential to cause cancer as far back as 1984 by a scientist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  

The story of Roundup is not unique. It is just one of dozens of toxic pesticides that the pesticide industry has effectively kept on the market despite clear scientific evidence of harm. In fact, the EPA has approved use of over 80 pesticides that are banned in other countries.  

As research reveals ever more about the serious threats pesticides pose to biodiversity and public health — and also shows how pesticides lead to resistant weeds and pests that plague farmers and reduce crop yields — the industry’s spin efforts have become increasingly brazen.