Evidence of insect harm:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-021-02057-6
“Glyphosate is widely used as an herbicide, but recent studies begin to reveal its detrimental side effects on animals by targeting the shikimate pathway of associated gut microorganisms. …. Here, we sequenced the tiny, shikimate pathway encoding symbiont genome of the sawtoothed grain beetle Oryzaephilus surinamensis. Glyphosate exposure inhibited symbiont establishment during host development and abolished the mutualistic benefit on cuticle synthesis in adults… Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses indicate that the shikimate pathways of many nutritional endosymbionts likewise contain a glyphosate sensitive 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase. These findings …paint an alarming scenario regarding the use of glyphosate in light of recent declines in insect populations.”
https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msystems.00268-20
“Sublethal doses of glyphosate reduce the abundance of beneficial bacteria and affect microbial diversity in the guts of honey bees… Such perturbations are not immediately lethal to bees but, depending on exposure level, can decrease survivorship.”
Evidence of harm to all humans, especially children and fetuses:
Studies suggest a number of health risks associated with exposure to glyphosate. Children and fetuses are most vulnerable to pesticide exposures due to their developing organ systems and differences in the way they metabolize toxins. In addition, developmentally normal hand-to-mouth behavior, close proximity to the ground where pesticides settle, and high respiratory rates result in higher exposures in children compared with adults.
· Cancer: Glyphosate is classified by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as probably carcinogenic to humans based on strong evidence that it causes cancer in laboratory animals, and some evidence that it increases cancer risk in humans.
· Hormone disruption: Studies have shown that glyphosate is an Endocrine Disrupting Chemical (EDC), meaning that it interferes with hormones in the body. EDCs can interfere with the development of the brain as well as the function of organ systems, such as the nervous and reproductive systems.
· Birth defects: Elevated rates of birth defects have been observed in animals fed with glyphosate-treated crops and in farming communities in areas where large quantities of glyphosate are used. Further research is needed to examine the link between glyphosate and birth defects.
- Nervous system toxicity: Laboratory studies suggest that glyphosate is toxic to the nervous system.
- Antibiotic resistance: Glyphosate has the potential to make bacteria less sensitive to antibiotics.
Meta-analysis of 1282 observations across 121 scientific papers indicates evidence of harm to humans, animals, pets, and marine animals:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026974912400383X
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9101768/
- Glyphosate is the most commonly applied herbicide worldwide
- Meta-analyses of 1282 observations across 121 articles indicate toxicity to animals in general.
- Most effects were sublethal, and toxicity was greatest in aquatic and marine animals.
- Widespread publication bias limits our understanding of this pesticide's ecological impact.*
*Although there appears to be evidence that glyphosate is safe, this study points out, based on statistical analysis, that research results have been skewed to reflect the bias of the makers of glyphosate, who are being held accountable in the courts for harm because of it: https://www.lawsuit-information-center.com/roundup-lawsuit.html