One creates the problem, the other… sells the solution.
It’s one of the most insidious business models in history. Monsanto floods the food supply with toxic pesticides, while Bayer profits off the chronic disease epidemic that follows. The merger of these two corporate giants wasn’t about efficiency or innovation—it was about consolidating power over both food and medicine.
Pesticides are marketed as a necessary tool to grow food at scale, but they’re also a major contributor to disease. Autoimmune disorders, neurological conditions, and cancers have skyrocketed alongside the increased use of agrochemicals. Instead of eliminating the root cause, the pharmaceutical industry offers drugs that merely mask symptoms, ensuring a never-ending cycle of dependency.
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: The Cost of Chemical Agriculture
Pesticide exposure isn’t just a theoretical concern—it’s a proven health hazard. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) rates have steadily increased, mirroring the rise in pesticide usage across America’s agricultural sector.
A growing body of research directly links glyphosate-based herbicides, like Roundup, to an increased risk of NHL. In fact, Monsanto has already been forced to pay out billions in legal settlements to victims of glyphosate-related cancer. Yet, rather than addressing the dangers of widespread pesticide use, regulatory agencies continue to protect corporate interests over public health.
Doctor: “Eat Your Vegetables” … The Vegetables: Soaked in Pesticides
We’ve all heard it—“eat your vegetables.” And while there’s no doubt that nutrient-dense, homegrown produce is beneficial, today’s industrial agriculture system delivers vegetables laced with chemicals.
Glyphosate, atrazine, paraquat—these aren’t just sprayed on crops; they’re absorbed into the food itself.
And Then We Dumped Billions of Pounds of Pesticides Into the Soil…
Industrial agriculture relies on heavy pesticide use under the pretense of efficiency and feeding the world. The result? Soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and chemical runoff that contaminates water supplies.
Instead of addressing the corporate-driven destruction of soil and ecosystems, the blame often falls on small, local farms practicing regenerative agriculture. These farms, which prioritize soil health and biodiversity, are frequently penalized by regulations that favor Big Ag, while chemical giants continue business as usual.
Pesticide Use on Corn: A Shocking Trend
Corn is the backbone of the American industrial food system, but it’s also drowning in pesticides.
A graph comparing pesticide usage from 1990 to 2017 reveals that herbicide and insecticide use on corn has skyrocketed. Instead of reducing chemical dependency, genetically modified (GMO) crops designed to withstand herbicides have led to even higher pesticide use, creating an endless cycle of resistance and more toxic solutions.
Corn—often found in everything from processed food to livestock feed—is now a major vehicle for pesticide exposure. The more chemicals dumped into the fields, the more they find their way into the food supply and water systems.
Glyphosate: Banned in Over 30 Nations, Still “Safe” in the U.S.
Despite mounting evidence linking glyphosate to cancer, neurotoxicity, and endocrine disruption, the FDA and EPA continue to rubber-stamp its safety. Meanwhile, over 30 countries have banned or restricted its use, including nations within the EU, parts of South America, and even some U.S. cities.
This raises a simple yet critical question: If so many other countries have deemed it unsafe, why is it still legal here? The answer lies in the deep ties between chemical corporations and regulatory agencies—protecting profits over public health.
“Safe and Effective” vs. “Causes Climate Change”
Here’s a bizarre paradox: pesticides and herbicides—which kill soil microbes, disrupt ecosystems, and poison water supplies—are still widely accepted as “safe.” Meanwhile, cows grazing on their natural diet of grass are labeled “climate criminals.”
The reality? Regenerative livestock farming rebuilds soil health, sequesters carbon, and supports biodiversity—all things industrial agriculture destroys. Yet, corporations and policymakers continue to push lab-grown meats and heavily processed plant-based alternatives funded by the same agrochemical industry poisoning our food supply.
The Bottom Line: Move Away from Chemical Agriculture
The connection between pesticides and chronic disease is too clear to ignore. As long as chemical companies control the food supply, they’ll also control the medical industry.
What can you do?
✅ Buy organic when possible to reduce pesticide exposure.
✅ Support regenerative farms that prioritize soil health.
✅ Avoid ultra-processed foods that rely on GMO crops heavily treated with pesticides.
✅ Grow your own food or source from local farmers using chemical-free practices.
The future of health isn’t in the hands of corporate agriculture or Big Pharma—it’s in reclaiming food sovereignty and making informed choices.
Citations:
- Baudry, Julia, et al. "Dietary Pesticide Exposure and Non-Communicable Diseases and Mortality: A Systematic Review of Prospective Studies Among Adults." Environmental Health, vol. 22, no. 1, 2023, p. 76.
- Hardell, Lennart, et al. "Exposure to Phenoxyacetic Acids and Glyphosate as Risk Factors for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma—Pooled Analysis of Three Swedish Case-Control Studies Including the Sub-Type Hairy Cell Leukemia." Leukemia & Lymphoma, vol. 64, no. 5, 2023, pp. 997–1004.
- Acquavella, John. "Epidemiologic Studies of Glyphosate and Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: A Review with Consideration of Exposure Frequency, Systemic Dose, and Study Quality." Global Epidemiology, vol. 5, 2023, p. 100101.
- "How Pesticides Impact Human Health and Ecosystems in Europe." European Environment Agency, 2023.
- "Exposure to Pesticides and the Associated Human Health Effects." The Science of the Total Environment, vol. 575, 2017, pp. 525–535.