THE END OF AN ERA

Abstract

IN 1972, Monsanto launched Roundup, an herbicide that would go on to transform both the company and the very face of agriculture. Last month, Monsanto acknowledged that Roundup’s best years have come to an end. It announced 900 layoffs, mostly of people involved with Roundup, and said it would carve out its herbicide franchise into a stand-alone division. As is the case for many chemicals these days, the fall from grace for Roundup, known generically as glyphosate, is due mainly to China. As many as 15 Chinese chemical companies have jumped into the glyphosate business, causing prices to plummet even as demand continues to grow When it was introduced, glyphosate was a breakthrough nonselective herbicide. It acts by inhibiting an enzyme in plants involved in the synthesis of essential amino acids. It’s relatively nontoxic to humans and breaks down readily in soil. For two decades, farmers used Roundup mainly as a cost-effective means of clearing ...