Monsanto ghostwrote studies claiming glyphosate safety while hiding cancer evidence

When you read a scientific study claiming a widely used pesticide is safe, you assume independent researchers conducted the work. That assumption cost millions of people their trust in both corporate science and regulatory oversight.

Monsanto, now owned by Bayer, spent decades telling the world that glyphosate—the active ingredient in Roundup—posed no cancer risk. The company funded studies, submitted data to regulators, and funded communications that consistently reached the same conclusion. For farmers, homeowners, and agricultural workers who relied on this herbicide, these assurances seemed authoritative.

But in 2017, court documents revealed a different story. The "Monsanto Papers"—internal emails and memos unsealed during litigation—showed that company employees had ghostwritten research that was later published under the names of supposedly independent scientists. These papers were then submitted to regulatory agencies as objective evidence of safety. The company wasn't just funding research; it was manufacturing it.

The documents went further. Internal communications showed that Monsanto scientists had detected potential cancer links as early as the 1980s. Rather than pursuing these findings rigorously, the company appeared to bury them. Emails revealed discussions about how to discredit independent researchers whose work suggested health risks, and how to strategically manage the scientific narrative.

The official response at the time was predictable. disputed the characterization of internal discussions as sinister, arguing that concerns about were addressed through proper channels and that the company stood behind the safety profile of its products. Regulatory agencies like the EPA maintained that glyphosate was safe when used as directed. These weren't fringe voices—they represented institutional authority backed by decades of approved studies.