The Secret Ingredient

The Secret Ingredient > All Episodes

May 28, 2018

Special: Pesticides, Science, and Subterfuge

By: Rebecca McInroy

In the 1970s Monsanto unveiled a miracle herbicide–Glyphosate. The pitch: it was as safe as table salt for people, but could flatten even the peskiest weeds. Farmers and homeowners alike have used the product ever since. Now, it shows up in detectable levels in many foods, and almost every American has some in their bodies. Several new lawsuits allege that it’s linked to cancer—and that Monsanto knew it all along. In this Secret Ingredient special Raj Patel, Tom Philpott and Rebecca McInroy explore why scientists, farmers, and lawyers are taking on Monsanto and what it means for everyone today.