Health Canada’s re-evaluation of glyphosate and the Monsanto Papers

The document details allegations that Monsanto engaged in ghostwriting scientific papers and coordinating with regulatory bodies to counter the International Agency for Research on Cancer's (IARC) 2015 designation of glyphosate as 'probably carcinogenic to humans'. It highlights specific instances where Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) relied on studies that were allegedly edited or co-written by Monsanto scientists without proper credit. Consequently, several environmental and health organizations have requested an independent review of the PMRA's 2017 decision to authorize the continued use of glyphosate in Canada.

• Internal documents indicate Monsanto attempted to discredit the IARC's 2015 classification of glyphosate as a Group 2A carcinogen by providing drafts to scientists for publication and strategizing to 'inoculate/establish a public perspective on IARC'.
• The briefing alleges that Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) relied on scientific studies in its 2017 re-evaluation of glyphosate that were ghostwritten or heavily edited by Monsanto employees without disclosure. Examples include the genotoxicity review by Kier and Kirkland (2013) and the cancer review paper by Greim et al. (2015).
• Monsanto Canada collaborated with industry associations like CropLife Canada to influence the federal government and encourage the IARC to adjust its practices, while also engaging retired faculty from the University of Guelph to assist provincial reviews in New Brunswick and Ontario.
• The PMRA's 2017 final decision concluded that glyphosate is unlikely to be genotoxic or carcinogenic, authorizing its registration for another 15 years, despite the IARC's finding of a 'positive association' with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2018). Health Canada’s re-evaluation of glyphosate and the Monsanto Papers. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Media-Backgrounder-Monsanto-Papers-Nov-12-2018-FINAL2.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Health Canada’s re-evaluation of glyphosate and the Monsanto Papers. 2018. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Media-Backgrounder-Monsanto-Papers-Nov-12-2018-FINAL2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Health Canada’s re-evaluation of glyphosate and the Monsanto Papers |date=November 2018 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Media-Backgrounder-Monsanto-Papers-Nov-12-2018-FINAL2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2018health, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Health Canada’s re-evaluation of glyphosate and the Monsanto Papers}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2018}, month = nov, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Media-Backgrounder-Monsanto-Papers-Nov-12-2018-FINAL2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }