Trump Boosts Glyphosate Production Despite Cancer Concerns

The president's executive order aims to increase domestic supply of the controversial weedkiller Roundup, raising alarm among health advocates.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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President Donald Trump signed an executive order to ramp up domestic production of glyphosate, the active ingredient in the weedkiller Roundup, citing national security concerns around the food supply. The move has drawn criticism from groups like MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) who have long pushed to hold Monsanto/Bayer accountable for Roundup's links to cancer. While the science on glyphosate's health risks remains mixed, studies have associated it with increased rates of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, especially among farmers and farmworkers who are regularly exposed.

Why it matters

This order pits Trump's 'America First' agenda against growing public health concerns over glyphosate. It comes just after Bayer agreed to a multi-billion dollar settlement for thousands of lawsuits linking Roundup to cancer, and raises questions about the influence of industry over public policy, especially when it comes to potentially toxic chemicals in the food system.

The details

Trump's order invokes the Defense Production Act to boost glyphosate production, claiming it's necessary to protect American agricultural productivity and the domestic food supply. However, critics argue the move undermines efforts by groups like MAHA to reduce reliance on synthetic pesticides and herbicides. The order also clears the way for more aggressive phosphorus mining, another controversial practice.

  • On February 18, 2026, President Trump signed the executive order.
  • In 2018, lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. won a $289 million case against Monsanto on behalf of a plaintiff diagnosed with lymphoma after using Roundup.
  • In 2021, President Biden invoked the Defense Production Act to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

The players

President Donald Trump

The 45th President of the United States who signed the executive order to boost glyphosate production.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

An environmental advocate who previously served as a lawyer and played a pivotal role in winning a $289 million case against Monsanto over Roundup's links to cancer.

Bayer

The parent company of Monsanto, the maker of the controversial weedkiller Roundup.

MAHA (Make America Healthy Again)

A grassroots advocacy group that has long pushed to hold Monsanto/Bayer accountable for Roundup's health risks.

Dewayne Johnson

A plaintiff who won a $289 million case against Monsanto after being diagnosed with lymphoma from using Roundup.

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What they’re saying

“Donald Trump's Executive Order puts America first where it matters most — our defense readiness and our food supply. We must safeguard America's national security first, because all of our priorities depend on it. When hostile actors control critical inputs, they weaken our security. By expanding domestic production, we close that gap and protect American families.”

— Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (The Post)

What’s next

The judge in the Bayer/Monsanto lawsuits will continue to oversee the $7 billion settlement for tens of thousands of cases linking Roundup to cancer.

The takeaway

This order highlights the ongoing tension between public health concerns over toxic chemicals like glyphosate and industry interests that prioritize productivity and profits. It raises questions about the influence of corporate lobbying on government policy, especially when it comes to regulating potentially harmful substances in the food system.