Labor Prosecutors Ask Court to Force Brazil to Block Glyphosate Registrations

Overview

• A special division of the Ministério Público do Trabalho filed a lawsuit asking a court to compel Anvisa and the federal government to prohibit registration and to block production, import, export, sale and use of glyphosate and its derivatives.
• The filing, lodged on Friday, May 23, cites the 2015 IARC finding that glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic,” studies reporting residues in drinking water, and the recent retraction of a decades‑old Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology paper that had downplayed risks.
• Prosecutor Leomar Daroncho framed the action as a public‑health measure to protect workers and communities and urged regulators to re‑evaluate approvals in light of the new scientific concerns.
• Bayer has pushed back, saying glyphosate can be used safely and disputing the significance of the retracted paper, while Anvisa and the federal government’s legal arm, the AGU, have not yet issued public responses to the suit.
• If a court orders cancellation of glyphosate registrations, Brazil could see immediate supply and use disruptions for farmers, major legal battles with chemical and seed firms like Bayer, and wider debate over how regulators weigh scientific retractions and international health findings.