A panel of two dozen scientists begins a week-long meeting today in Lyon, France, to “analyze scientific findings regarding links between cancer in humans and the herbicide known as 2,4-D,” says Reuters. The panel is working on behalf of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a part of the World Health Organization. In March, IARC ruled that glyphosate, the most widely used weedkiller in the world, is “probably carcinogenic to humans.” Reuters quotes a scientist at Consumers Union who says, “There is just as strong, or a stronger case, on 2,4-D than there was for glyphosate.” Dow Chemical, which makes 2,4-D, has submitted material to IARC to rebut concerns about the herbicide.
Dow recently won U.S. approval for a weedkiller that combines 2,4-D and glyphosate and for crops genetically engineered to tolerate the herbicide cocktail. The products are expected to be a lucrative alternative to GE hybrids that tolerate only glyphosate, given the development of so-called superweeds that are resistant to the chemical.