In two large regions of Brazil, the Cerrado and Amazon biomes, the mortality rate of childhood ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia) was studied over a 15-year period. In the former area, soybean cultivation tripled from 5 million hectares to 15 million hectares between 2000 and 2019, while in the latter area it increased 20 times, from 0.25 million to 5 million hectares.

Brazil has become the world leader in the consumption of hazardous pesticides, the relative quantity per hectare is 2.3 times greater than the USA and 3 times greater than China. The amount of pesticides used on soy has increased in 2004, when glyphosate-resistant GMO soybean varieties were approved, and farmers use relatively more pesticides on soybeans than on other crops.

The authors found a significant positive increase in childhood ALL mortality following soy expansion, with 123 additional deaths for children under 10 years of age between 2008 and 2019.

In addition to exposure experiences in utero and the first year of life, the authors present results on the harmful effects of longer-term exposure in early childhood. In addition, their data refer to populations that are not directly involved in agricultural production.

They argue that their results are only the tip of the iceberg, as they do not account for non-fatal cases (e.g. successfully treated ALL cases), other cancers or non-cancerous disease resulting from pesticide exposure.

According to the authors, the limited casual and population-level evidence to date regarding pesticide exposure and cancer risk can be explained by the complex and multifactorial nature of carcinogenesis. Malignant genetic mutations can be spurred by a number of causes, e.g. exposure to radiation, pesticides, tobacco, alcohol, etc. They tried to rule out potential alternative explanations.

Limiting analysis to ALL cases accounts for both the effects of age and the multifactorial risk for solid tumor formation, since the effects of radiation, alcohol consumption and smoking are less of a factor in the case of children.

While previous research suggests a direct link between soy consumption and various types of cancer, the evidence for such a link with pediatric ALL is scant. In addition, soy is grown almost exclusively for livestock feed purposes in the region.

They also found no evidence that less input-intensive crops would increase death due to ALL, thereby ruling out the effect of economic or lifestyle changes related to crop cultivation.

The authors investigated soy production in the upstream areas of the watershed, and their results suggest that pesticides used in soy production upstream reach children living downstream.

The effects of nonsoy crops on pediatric deaths from ALL were examined, but little association was found.

It was noted that soy can be intercropped with other pesticide-intensive crops, e.g. with corn, so these results may reflect the effect of both types of pesticides, only a part of which comes from the treatment of soy, which, however, does not change the message that the transition from low-resource-demanding cattle farming to high-resource-demanding cultivation has harmful effects on human health.

Recently, another article was published about sick children related to Brazilian agriculture. According to new research, there is a strong link between congenital anomalies and proximity to agricultural land. A similar relationship was also shown between the aforementioned proximity and foetal deaths after the 28th week of pregnancy.

In the research, the Brazilian states were identified, where at least 5% of the majority of the municipalities are occupied by agriculture, and they were linked to national health data. They found that the risk of congenital anomalies and foetal deaths in several areas, in the main soy, corn and sugar cane producing states increased. These states also have the highest sales of pesticides.

In Sinop and Sorriso, the agriculturally dominant cities of Mato Grosso, e.g. there were 20 and 30% higher risks of congenital anomalies and foetal deaths compared to cities without plantations. In the municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul, where at least half of the area is devoted to agriculture, the risk of foetal deaths was 73% higher than in areas without plantations. In cities where a third of the area is farmed, the risk of congenital anomalies was 2% higher.

The article refers to research showing similar results, such as the study above. A 2019 research by a Rio de Janeiro-based foundation also found that the proportion of congenital anomalies was higher in settlements that cultivated more grain and were exposed to more pesticides.

According to a 2023 research, even children living far from the plantations could be affected, as the residues of glyphosate are spread by rivers. Based on the results, between 2000 and 2010, there were more premature births and lower birth weights in the Center-West and Southern regions of Brazil, as well as a 5% increase in infant mortality. The negative impact could be detected up to 100 km from the area of use. In some cities, treated farmland is located very close to populated areas.

In some cities, treated farmland is located very close to populated areas.

In Brazil, glyphosate was deemed safe at its 2020 re-evaluation. In 2023, the regulation of pesticides was further relaxed, and in June 2024, 80 new pesticide products were authorised, of which glyphosate was the active ingredient in 4 cases. Although it is dangerous, it can still be used without restrictions in several countries, e.g. in the EU, it was authorised for another 10 years in 2023.

In the United States, however, Monsanto was defeated in court. Cancer patients have proven that they got ill from the glyphosate-based Roundup. So far, 154,000 lawsuits have reached the US court, and the multinational company has paid approx. $11 billion compensation. As a result, the German Bayer withdrew glyphosate from products for residential use in the country, but its use is still authorized in Brazil.