Monsanto found guilty of chemical poisoning in France

“I think if we had a major health problem with pesticides, we would have already known about it.”

The Guardian reports:

A French court has declared the US biotech giant Monsanto guilty of chemical poisoning of a French farmer, a judgment that could lend weight to other health claims against pesticides.

In the first such case heard in court in France, the grain grower Paul Francois, 47, said he suffered neurological problems including memory loss, headaches and stammering after inhaling Monsanto’s Lasso weedkiller in 2004.

He blames Monsanto for not providing adequate warnings on the product label…

Monsanto said it was disappointed by the ruling and would examine whether to appeal against the judgment.

“Monsanto always considered that there were not sufficient elements to establish a causal relationship between Paul Francois’s symptoms and a potential poisoning,” the company’s lawyer, Jean-Philippe Delsart, said.

Previous health claims from farmers have foundered because of the difficulty of establishing clear links between illnesses and exposure to pesticides…

Read the entire report.

9 thoughts on “Monsanto found guilty of chemical poisoning in France”

  1. Yep, poisons are poisons and should be handled carefully and properly, we’re in full agreement on that! So, why do I find myself attacked for supporting rules designed to decrease the release of mercury, a PROVEN neurotoxin, teratogen and mutagen?
    Now, Monsanto has been an actor in this arena for years and they’ve never seen a chemical that wasn’t too dangerous to be sprayed with abandon. They are experts on casting doubt on any causal connection and the money to back it up!
    I’ve heard about studies that controlled for aging and a number of modern variables and supposedly there was still quite a level of cancer common today well above expected. Considering such carcinogens as vinyl chloride and asbestos were never banned or even controlled, I’m actually surprised that we aren’t facing a much bigger epidemic! I guess we’ll have to wait for the bodies to fill the streets!

  2. Gregg. The cancer epidemic is primarily due to increased longevity and better detection. No one is fairy-shot anymore.

    Autism is primarily due to diagnosis. Back in Victorian times, you were just insane and locked up, or you were just weird / a fool and fumbled your way through society.

    Finally, back on topic, this is a poison. It is designed to kill things and is open and honest about its purpose. The farmhand should have used proper poison handling procedures and is quite culpable for his injuries by his stupidity.

  3. I have been thinking about this report all day. Correct me if I am wrong, but the farmer is not suing Monsanto, he is seeking disability benefits from the state. The Guardian story hints at costly future legal action against pesticide manufaturers. That’s the Guardian’s angle. The real argument is about what can be diagnosed as causing “disability.” The first court denied the farmer’s claim. The appeals court later decided that the medical diagnosis was, perhaps, faulty. What made me return to this story is an article at Zerohedge (02/14/2012 15:07) about what many unemployed Americans are doing when the unemployment benefits expire. Robust statistics indicate they apply for disability benefits. Oh, and the point is, almost any complaint qualifies.

  4. Well, I have a health problem with Monsanto pesticides (is Roundup the same product as Lasso?). My own small-scale, but rigorously conducted, scientific studies show that exposure to this stuff makes my nose gush like a fountain and also makes me very, very grumpy, especially when talking to friends who don’t want to admit that their lazy approach to weeding is hazardous to all of our health. I’ve known about it for a long time. More serious long-term reactions are likely; preliminary reports indicate corruption in prosecuting U.S. cases. I’m glad the French guy won his case. Merci mille fois for sharing!

  5. I suppose we could just ban every man made chemical and return to Dark Ages technology. People lived such long and comfortable lives back then. /sarc

    Look Gregg, you can live your life believing that correlation equals causation, or you can grow up and accept the Scientific Process. Our technology will never be perfect, and yes, some will be harmed by it. But the vast majority of humanity benefits from our ever improving mastery of the physical world around us. Moving backwards is never the answer. We know what lies in that direction: misery and premature death for all.

  6. This sounds to me like Rachel Carson and “Silent Spring” and DDT. She should be arrested for murder of 4-5 million innocent African babies. It is people like Carson and the Environmental extremists who would have us go back to living in caves. Maybe we can send them to that Moon Colony that Newt mentioned?

  7. Have you heard about the cancer or the autism epidemics? Coincidence or are we being poisoned? But of course you would deny it until the bodies pile up!

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