Trump signed an executive order to bolster domestic production of glyphosate and elemental phosphorus, aiming to reduce reliance on imports amid a backdrop of lawsuits over Roundup’s cancer risks.

Bayer stands to pay more than $7 billion to settle Roundup-related claims, a settlement still awaiting final approval from a Missouri circuit court judge.

The order emphasizes that elemental phosphate is essential as a feedstock for glyphosate-based herbicides, highlighting its role in maintaining the US agricultural edge through affordable food and livestock production.

Context recalls longstanding concerns about glyphosate’s health effects, with Kennedy-led critiques linking potential chronic diseases in children to glyphosate; MAHA activists referenced these debates.

White House notes supply chain vulnerabilities, pointing out only one domestic producer exists and that over six million kilograms of elemental phosphorus are imported annually.

A White House fact sheet warns interruptions could threaten defense and food systems, noting there are limited direct substitutes for glyphosate and potential economic losses for farmers if supply is restricted.

Elemental phosphorus is also highlighted for defense applications, including smoke, illumination, incendiaries, and for semiconductors used in radar, sensors, and weapon-system batteries.

Critics, including activists Vani Hari, Kelly Ryerson, Lori Ann Burd, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., argue the order prioritizes chemical companies over public health and consumer safety.