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Monday, Mar. 29, 2021

Does some evidence suggest a link between the use of glyphosate and an increased risk of autism and cancer?

Lisa Freedland, Gigafact
yes

Research on glyphosate, an herbicide that regulates crop growth, has found that the compound could be linked to increased risk of cancer and autism.

One 2020 study found that children of mothers exposed to significant glyphosate levels during pregnancy could face increased risk of autism spectrum disorder, though the underlying mechanisms causing the risk are “largely unknown.”

In 2015, the International Agency for Cancer Research concluded that exposure to glyphosate (usually observed during farming) is likely to be carcinogenic in humans. A 2016 study concluded that the consumption of glyphosate in food is unlikely to be carcinogenic.

A March 2021 report from the U.S. State Department expressed support for Colombia's aerial eradication program of its coca crop, a source of cocaine. The program historically involves spraying glyphosate on coca farms.

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