One day before President Trump’s executive order, Bayer announced a proposed $7.25 billion class settlement to resolve tens of thousands of Roundup cancer claims. The next day, Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to compel production of glyphosate—the controversial weedkiller at the center of those lawsuits. The executive order forces production of glyphosate and white phosphorus, protecting Bayer’s Roundup revenue and defense contractors while shifting liability onto farmers and communities.
The Executive Order Forces Production of Glyphosate and White Phosphorus, Protecting Bayer’s Roundup Revenue While Shifting Liability Onto Farmers
On February 18, 2026, Trump signed an executive order declaring glyphosate-based herbicides and elemental phosphorus critical to national security and food supply. The New York Times reported that the order comes amid unprecedented litigation against Bayer, which acquired Monsanto and Roundup in 2018. More than 60,000 lawsuits allege that Roundup causes cancer, primarily non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Reuters noted that Bayer proposed the $7.25 billion settlement on February 17—one day before the executive order—without admitting liability.
The Guardian documented that the order seeks to protect the weedkiller at the center of a barrage of lawsuits. Chemical & Engineering News reported the order is part of a larger political strategy: House Republicans unveiled a draft farm bill that would mandate uniform pesticide labels nationwide, preempting state and local governments from requiring different warnings. The Supreme Court is considering Monsanto v. Durnell, a key case on glyphosate and cancer liability. The executive order adds another layer of protection for manufacturers.
Farmers bear the risk. The order frames glyphosate as essential to agricultural productivity, but it does nothing to address the health claims of farmworkers and rural communities exposed to the chemical. CNN reported that health advocates and the Make America Healthy Again movement have long opposed glyphosate as potentially carcinogenic. The New Lede noted that under the proposed settlement, cancer victims could receive between $10,000 and $165,000 on average—a fraction of what some individual verdicts have awarded. Bayer has already spent over $11 billion on settlements and verdicts.
The irony is acute: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who previously won landmark verdicts against Monsanto as a plaintiff’s lawyer, endorsed the order on national security grounds. The administration had removed heavy metals from baby formula and tightened food additive rules—yet simultaneously provided a shield for glyphosate producers. As Bloomberg reported, the order delegates authority to the Secretary of Agriculture to manage supply allocation in consultation with the Secretary of War.
What This Actually Means
Trump’s order is a legal shield for Bayer disguised as national security policy. Farmers and communities will continue to bear the risk of glyphosate exposure while Bayer’s Roundup revenue is protected. The executive order and the settlement are coordinated—one day apart—and the beneficiaries are clear.
Background
What is Bayer? Bayer AG is a German multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company. It acquired Monsanto in 2018, including the Roundup brand. The company has faced tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging glyphosate causes cancer.