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US chemical giant to stop producing herbicide called ‘toxic cocktail’ by critics
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US chemical giant to stop producing herbicide called ‘toxic cocktail’ by critics

#Corteva #Enlist Duo #Agent Orange #Glyphosate #Herbicide #Carcinogen #Pesticides

📌 Key Takeaways

  • Corteva is discontinuing Enlist Duo, a herbicide combining glyphosate and 2,4-D.
  • The chemical 2,4-D was a major component of the Vietnam-era defoliant Agent Orange.
  • Health and environmental advocates have linked the product's ingredients to cancer and ecological damage.
  • The company will continue to produce Enlist One, which still contains the controversial 2,4-D chemical.

📖 Full Retelling

The American agricultural chemical giant Corteva announced this week that it will stop the production and sale of Enlist Duo, a controversial herbicide widely used across United States farmlands, following years of intense criticism from environmental and health advocates. The company’s decision comes amid growing scrutiny over the product’s formula, which combines glyphosate with 2,4-D—a primary component of the Vietnam War-era defoliant Agent Orange. Critics have long labeled the mixture a "toxic cocktail" due to its documented links to cancer and its devastating impact on non-target plant life and local ecosystems. While the discontinuation of Enlist Duo marks a significant shift in Corteva’s product lineup, the company is not entirely abandoning the use of the 2,4-D chemical. According to industry reports, Corteva intends to continue manufacturing and selling Enlist One, a related herbicide that utilizes the same controversial defoliant but does not include glyphosate in the pre-mixed solution. This strategic move allows the company to maintain its market share in weed control while ostensibly addressing some of the regulatory and public relations pressures surrounding the dual-chemical formulation. The environmental impact of these herbicides has been a focal point of litigation and scientific debate for decades. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in products like Roundup, has been categorized by some international health bodies as a probable carcinogen, while 2,4-D has been associated with various long-term health risks and environmental persistence. Environmentalists argue that the combination of these two potent chemicals in Enlist Duo exacerbated the danger of chemical drift, where the herbicide travels beyond the intended fields, damaging neighboring crops and wild habitats. Regulatory bodies in the United States have faced consistent legal challenges from advocacy groups seeking to ban these substances based on their threat to endangered species and human health. Although the removal of Enlist Duo from the market represents a victory for campaigners, many experts emphasize that the underlying reliance on 2,4-D in American industrial agriculture remains a significant concern. Corteva’s transition suggests an evolving corporate landscape where chemical manufacturers are forced to balance traditional pesticide profitability with increasing environmental accountability and the threat of large-scale lawsuits.

🏷️ Themes

Environment, Agriculture, Public Health

📚 Related People & Topics

Corteva

Corteva

American agriculture company

# Corteva, Inc. **Corteva, Inc.**, commonly known as **Corteva Agriscience**, is a major American agricultural chemical and seed company. It is a global leader in providing solutions for farmers to maximize yield and profitability through a diverse portfolio of agricultural products. ### Overview ...

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Glyphosate

Glyphosate

Systemic herbicide and crop desiccant

Glyphosate (IUPAC name: N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine) is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide and crop desiccant. It is an organophosphorus compound, specifically a phosphonate, which acts by inhibiting the plant enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSP). Glyphosate-based herbicides (GB...

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Agent Orange

Agent Orange

Chemical herbicide and defoliant

Agent Orange is a chemical herbicide and defoliant, one of the tactical uses of Rainbow Herbicides. It was notably used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1962 to 1971. The U.S. was strongly influenced by the British who ...

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Enlist Weed Control System

Agricultural system

The Enlist Weed Control System is an agricultural system that includes seeds for genetically modified crops that are resistant to Enlist (a broadleaf herbicide with two active agents, 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and glyphosate) and the Enlist herbicide; spraying the herbicide will kill w...

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Herbicide

Herbicide

Type of chemical used to kill unwanted plants

Herbicides (US: , UK: ), also commonly known as weed killers, are substances used to control undesired plants, also known as weeds. Selective herbicides control specific weed species while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed, while non-selective herbicides (sometimes called "total weed kill...

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📄 Original Source Content
<p>Corteva will discontinue a mixture of Agent Orange and glyphosate, but another of its herbicides will still use Vietnam war-era defoliant</p><p>The chemical giant Corteva will stop producing Enlist Duo, a herbicide considered to be among the most dangerous still used in the US by environmentalists because it contains a mix of Agent Orange and glyphosate, which have both been linked to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/cancer">cancer</a> and widespread

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