Whitewash

book front cover graphic

Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science

by Carey Gillam

It’s the pesticide on our dinner plates, a chemical so pervasive it’s in the air we breathe, our water, our soil, and even found increasingly in our own bodies. Known as Monsanto’s Roundup by consumers, and as glyphosate by scientists, the world’s most popular weed killer is used everywhere from backyard gardens to golf courses to millions of acres of farmland. For decades it’s been touted as safe enough to drink, but a growing body of evidence indicates just the opposite, with research tying the chemical to cancers and a host of other health threats.

In Whitewash, veteran journalist Carey Gillam uncovers one of the most controversial stories in the history of food and agriculture, exposing new evidence of corporate influence. Gillam introduces readers to farm families devastated by cancers which they believe are caused by the chemical, and to scientists whose reputations have been smeared for publishing research that contradicted business interests. Readers learn about the arm-twisting of regulators who signed off on the chemical, echoing company assurances of safety even as they permitted higher residues of the pesticide in food and skipped compliance tests. And, in startling detail, Gillam reveals secret industry communications that pull back the curtain on corporate efforts to manipulate public perception.

Whitewash is more than an exposé about the hazards of one chemical or even the influence of one company. It’s a story of power, politics, and the deadly consequences of putting corporate interests ahead of public safety. The Society for Environmental Journalists says Gillam "comes at one of the world’s most powerful corporations hard and doesn’t hold back, something legions of other journalists have been reluctant to do."

Praise for Whitewash

Give Carey Gillam credit. She comes at one of the world’s most powerful corporations hard and doesn’t hold back, something legions of other journalists have been reluctant to do.“Whitewash” is a gutsy, compelling read from beginning to end, especially for readers who enjoy the kind of hard-nosed, shoe-leather reporting that used to be the hallmark of great journalism.

It’s hard to read her book without at least finding her extensive research persuasive enough to warrant a more serious discussion of the issue. If right, she has done a great public service and shed light on decision-makers who need to be held accountable.

Society of Environmental Journalists Review by Tom Henry, SEJournal’s BookShelf editor

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Whitewash reads like a mystery novel, as Gillam skillfully uncovers Monsanto’s secretive strategies to convince countries around the world that its Roundup products were safe. The book unravels a tapestry of pesticide industry tricks to manipulate the scientific truths about their products while placing profits above human health and the environment. As someone who has experienced similar actions by corporations firsthand in my work far too often, I am hopeful that Carey’s book will be a wake-up call for more transparency about the dangers surrounding many chemicals in the marketplace.

Erin Brockovich Consumer advocate and environmental activist
Carey Gillam has brilliantly assembled the facts and describes how Monsanto and other agricultural chemical companies lied about their products, covered up the damaging data and corrupted government officials in order to sell their toxic products around the world.

David Schubert Professor and Head of the Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory at the Salk Institute For Biological Studies
Carey Gillam is a brave warrior in the mold of Rachel Carson. She has exposed the ruthless greed and fraud which have led to the poisoning of our planet. The bell is tolling and the Monarch butterflies are disappearing. It is urgent to seek the support, knowledge, and innovation needed to save humanity from further environmental destruction and even extinction.

Brian G. M. Durie, M.D. Chairman of the International Myeloma Foundation, oncology specialist and attending physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
In the grand tradition of Silent Spring, Carey Gillam’s Whitewash is a powerful exposé that sheds light on a chemical that — to most of us — is both entirely invisible and yet profoundly damaging to our bodies and our environment. It is a deeply researched, entirely convincing exposé of the politics, economics and global health consequences implicit in the spread of the world’s most common herbicide. Gillam has done what all great journalists strive to do: she has made us see clearly what has long been right before our eyes. Highly recommended.

McKay Jenkins Author of several books on history and culture and Cornelius Tilghman Professor of English, Journalism and Environmental Humanities at the University of Delaware
Journalist Gillam exposes a plethora of scientific research, legal materials, and documentary evidence recovered from corporate and government resources to paint a damning picture of the peddling of glyphosate by Monsanto and other agribusinesses … Gillam expertly covers a contentious front where corporate malfeasance intersects with issues of public health and ecology.

Publishers Weekly Book Review
Hard-hitting, eye-opening narrative … A forceful argument for an agricultural regulatory environment that puts public interest above corporate profits.

Kirkus Reviews Book Review
This is a must-read for everyone concerned about the increasing burden of toxic chemicals in water and food, the health and environmental consequences thereof, and corporate influence on government agencies.

Booklist Book Revew
Whitewash, says Carey Gillam, is what Monsanto, Monsanto-paid scientists, and the Monsanto-influenced EPA are trying to do for the herbicide glyphosate (“Roundup”)—make it appear benign in the face of evidence that glyphosate is carcinogenic, promotes weed resistance, and causes genetically modified crops to require even greater use of toxic chemicals. Gillam’s deep dive into this industry’s manipulation of science gives us plenty more reason to advocate for organic and sustainable agricultural systems.

Marion Nestle Professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University, and author of Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health
“The corruption of science documented in Whitewash is critical reading for those looking to better grasp modern food policy, document the collusion between government and industry, and witness the amazing power of food corporations....Books like Whitewash… which expose the deep levels of corruption that mislead consumers and undermine public health, have the potential to usher in a new era of transparency in food and nutrition research, push for stronger regulations, and help ensure the safety of the food supply.”

Nick Rose Nutrition Education Coordinator, PCC Community Markets

First Place Winner - 2018 SEJ Rachel Carson Environmental Book Award

Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science

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