Bayer proposes $7.5bn Roundup settlement in the US
© Tim Scrivener German agrochemical giant Bayer has proposed a $7.25bn (£5.35bn) nationwide settlement in the US.
The aim of the settlement is to draw a line under years of litigation alleging that its Roundup weedkiller causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a kind of blood cancer.
The agreement, filed by its subsidiary Monsanto in a Missouri court, would establish a single class-action programme covering people exposed to Roundup before 17 February 2026 who have been – or later are – diagnosed with the disease within a 16-year window.
If approved, payments would be made over 21 years, with total funding capped at $7.25bn.
See also: Glyphosate – pros and cons of another GB licence renewal
The move follows years of costly legal battles that have weighed heavily on Bayer since its $63bn (£46.5bn) acquisition of Monsanto in 2018.
The company has already paid billions to resolve earlier claims and faces tens of thousands more.
Bayer chief executive Bill Anderson acknowledged the strain, revealing that Bayer had at one stage weighed halting production of Roundup altogether because of the mounting legal uncertainty in the US.
Speaking in a media update, Mr Anderson delivered a robust defence of glyphosate’s 50-year safety record.
Essential tool for growers
Mr Anderson stressed that the agreement contains no admission of liability and maintains that glyphosate-based products are safe when used as directed.
He said: “Today’s announcement does not take away from the truth.
“A truth that scientists and regulators around the planet continue to uphold: that glyphosate is a safe and essential tool for farmers in the US and around the world.”
Bayer said it expects its litigation provisions to increase from €7.8bn (£6.8bn) to €11.8bn (£10.3bn).
And anticipates about €5bn (£4.4bn) in litigation-related payments in 2026.
A Bayer UK spokesman said the communications relate to the US market, where the litigation has taken place, and that there are no similar legal cases in progress in the UK.