Cases / Pesticides and agrochemicals · Global · 2000–2025
Glyphosate safety review retracted over undisclosed Monsanto ghostwriting
Short record: the main facts, with sources. A full case file has not been prepared.
Nature's voice · report
No measurement of the harm done to me here is on record.
Did nature suffer? Not measured.
Not on record
- The record does not name which of my species, waters, soils or forests were harmed.
A 2000 review that found the herbicide glyphosate safe was retracted in November 2025 because the authorship of Monsanto employees was not disclosed. US Right to Know, a campaign group, says the review relied only on unpublished Monsanto studies.
What?
A 2000 glyphosate safety review by Williams, Kroes and Munro was retracted in November 2025 over undisclosed Monsanto authorship. US Right to Know
Where?
Global scientific literature on glyphosate US Right to Know
When?
Review published in 2000; retracted in November 2025. US Right to Know
Who?
Gained
- Monsanto — Its unpublished studies formed the basis of a review that found glyphosate safe, per US Right to Know US Right to Know
Lost
None on recordHarmed
None on recordWhy?
The stated reason for the retraction was the undisclosed authorship of Monsanto employees. US Right to Know
How?
Monsanto employees' authorship was not disclosed on the published review, per US Right to Know. US Right to Know
6 of 6 questions answered from the record
What happened
The record, in order.
US Right to Know reported on 3 December 2025 that the 2000 review by Williams, Kroes and Munro was retracted in November 2025 for undisclosed authorship by Monsanto employees.
US Right to Know said the review relied only on unpublished Monsanto studies and was among the most-cited 0.1 percent of papers on glyphosate.
According to the sources reviewed, up to 50 percent of some sections of a January 2019 German BfR glyphosate report had been taken from the licence application file.
In court and with insurers
Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.
Lawsuits and rulings
No court case on record. No court has ruled on this case.
Insurers
No insurer decision on record.
What we don't know
Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.
Nature
- Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.
Record
- Insufficient Reported but not verified: an internal Monsanto email from about 2015 that describes the review as handled in the same way; the email's author is not named here.
- Insufficient Reported but not verified: an EPA official's 2015 remark about a separate glyphosate review, as relayed through a Monsanto email; an inspector general review is reported to have been opened.
- Insufficient Bayer says the contribution was acknowledged in the paper's thanks section; this is a company statement and is not verified.
- None on record Monsanto Co. v. Durnell is cited only through a link; its court, date and outcome are not stated in the sources reviewed.
- None on record The sources reviewed do not say which regulatory decisions relied on the review.
- None on record A Retraction Watch report from December 2025 is cited without a link in the sources reviewed.
Did the harm stop?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Who paid?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Sources
Voices on record: — Company or project— Government and regulators— Courts— Press and investigations✓ Communities and civil society— Researchers
Communities and civil society
- Landmark glyphosate safety study retracted for Monsanto ghostwritingUS Right to Know · 2025-12-03
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