On April 27, 2004, the farmer from Charente, in the southwest of France, was severely poisoned when he accidentally inhaled the fumes of a pesticide while inspecting the tank of his crop sprayer, which he thought was empty.
The weed killer Lasso, marketed by the American company, was banned in 2007 due to its carcinogenic properties. That same year, Mr. François filed a lawsuit against Monsanto.
Although Monsanto was acquired years ago by the German chemical company Bayer, the French farmer pursued his legal battles in France to the end, demanding compensation of over one million euros. Last year, a French judge ruled that Bayer must compensate the man for his permanent health issues.
In a subsequent trial, the final amount of compensation had to be determined. Because Bayer's lawyers argued that most of the conditions and illnesses could not be demonstrably linked to the inhalation of glyphosate fumes in 2004, the compensation amount was set at approximately 11,135 euros.
Farmer Paul François and anti-pesticide groups supporting his campaign expressed their disappointment over the amount, as they are trying to demonstrate a broader trend of illness caused by agricultural chemicals. "11,000 euros for so much sacrifice," said François after a French court ordered the award.
Bayer inherited the French legal claim after acquiring US-based Monsanto, including a portfolio of lawsuits related to Roundup, another weed killer. In the United States, lawsuits are ongoing over damage claims worth tens of millions. Plaintiffs claim that the active ingredient glyphosate in Roundup caused cancer and other diseases.