In reflecting on the future of the food economy in America, one must understand the role of genetically engineered crops, which have blown-apart food economics and ecology in America and increasingly worldwode since their monopoly-mounted introduction 14 short years ago, driven by Monsanto covering the Earth in Roundup, AKA glyphosate. On the light side, consider an article in the New York Times - "Study Says Overuse Threatens Gains From Modified Crops" - which reports "Dr. Ervin, a professor of environmental management and economics at Portland State University in Oregon, warned that farmers were jeopardizing the benefits (of G.E. crops) by planting too many so-called Roundup Ready crops. These crops are genetically engineered to be impervious to the herbicide Roundup, allowing farmers to spray the chemical to kill weeds while leaving the crops unscathed." 

The article goes on:

Overuse of this seductively simple approach to weed control is starting to backfire. Use of Roundup, or its generic equivalent, glyphosate, has skyrocketed to the point that weeds are rapidly becoming resistant to the chemical. That is rendering the technology less useful, requiring farmers to start using additional herbicides, some of them more toxic than glyphosate.

“Farmer practices may be reducing the utility of some G.E. traits as pest-management tools and increasing the likelihood of a return to more environmentally damaging practices,” the report concluded. It said the problem required national attention.

More than 80 percent of the corn, soybean and cotton grown in the United States is genetically engineered. The crops tolerate Roundup, are resistant to insects, or both.

American farmers were the first to widely adopt the technology and still account for about half of all the engineered crops grown. The crops are also being widely grown in Latin America and parts of Asia but are still largely shunned in Europe.

My wife had previously warned me about Roundup and concerns about global environmental contamination caused by G.E. planting strategies and related Glyphosate herbacide formulations. Now to see that it is also a failed scientific strategy is shameful. What will be the cost to humans and Earth for this failure of science and business interests, and who shall take responsibility, when?

Read more on the subject from the Neuropal blog, definitely wagging the finger at polluters, and recommending we eat an all natural, organic diet to avoid Roundup ready foods at all cost... and offering more insight than the New York Times on the deadly chemicals being called safe for the planet by industry (like the New York Times) and supported by far too many ignorant, corrupt American politicians...

One way to buy safe food is to buy European, and my family does that as much as possible!

CAN GLYPHOSATE HERBACIDE FORMULATIONS DAMAGE HUMANS?

CAN GLYPHOSATE HERBACIDE FORMULATIONS DAMAGE HUMANS?

Most crops of Corn, Soy, and Alfalfa are factory farmed, and weed controlled by an herbicide whose main active ingredient is called Glyphosate. Its purpose is to control weeds, thus the farms bushel yield will be up to four times as much as a field that is grown organically via sustainable farming. Of course, the profit margin of that chemically treated field will also be greatly enhanced. Chinese producers of glyphosate type herbicide products also compete with U.S. chemical companies. One other important ingredient is polyethoxylatyed tallow amine. It increases herbicide penetration in plants and animal cells. It is also toxic to wild life.

In 2008 there was a scientific study showing that herbicide formulations can cause the death of human embryonic, placental, and umbilical cells in vitro, even at low concentrations. It is toxic to human placentas.

Glyphosate based herbicide formulations are used world wide. It is included on most genetically modified plants that have been designed to tolerate it while eradicating weeds. Its residues may thus enter our food chain.

After giving it much thought and investigation, I have come to the conclusion that organic sustainable agriculture, along with cattle that are grazed on organic pastures from birth to slaughter is a must for good health. Think about it, farmers force feed penned up livestock using corn, soy, and alfalfa that have been grown in herbicide treated fields. Some of that poison is absorbed into the vegetation, and when eaten contaminates the animals. You buy that corn fattened meat, eat it, and become contaminated by that herbicide. You might think that the government would not allow us to consume a product that could harm us, or that a little bit will not hurt. The cumulative effect could be devastating. Did you ever notice how much corn or soy product we eat on a daily basis? Check out how many products on the supermarket shelves have high fructose corn syrup as an ingredient. Look at the breakfast cereals such as Corn flakes etc. Tofu is all soy, as well as the many other products that contain soy. These dangerous products are all around us. Read the ingredient portion of the commercially packaged, canned, or bottled products that you purchase. If the product is not grown in a sustainable organic way, it probably contains herbicide formulation chemicals. Because of our ingestion of so many corn, and soy products that have been treated with herbicides, the cumulative effect could be hazardous to our health.

An article in the February 15, 2010 Sun Sentinel, a Florida newspaper, notes that EPA toughened pollution rules are needed to protect public health. It is estimated that meeting the new standards could end up costing Florida $50 billion. Florida is the first state that the EPA has impacted with these rules. I shudder to think what the overall cost to the entire country will be if these necessary rules are imposed nation wide. The public health risk associated with water pollution includes nervous system damage, cancer, and even death. According to the EPA the pollution can damage drinking water. Elevated levels of phosphorus and nitrogen come from fertilizer, sewage, and other pollutants washed into waterways by storm water. Environmental groups have pushed for the new guidelines and induced the EPA to act. Our water supply and fish are also contaminated by water runoff containing Glyphosate, which we also drink and eat. Glyphosate is found in rivers. There are toxic effects on human cells by Glyphosate. Its commercial preparation formulations were more cytotoxic than the active components alone.

This is a real problem nation wide. Better solutions must be provided. For me, the answer is to eat only organic sustainable agriculture products. We on an individual basis have a different tolerance to the quantity of harmful substances we can ingest. No one knows for sure what that quantity is. The one thing that I do know is, if I buy from farms that grow produce in an organic sustainable way, I will be much healthier than if I ignore the facts. The same thing is true for meat. Buy only grass fed and finished beef. By this I mean, the animal must be organically grass pastured from birth to slaughter. The customary practice that is prevalent in factory farming, is to force feed pastured cattle corn, soy, or alfalfa six weeks before slaughter. Because cattle are sold per pound weight, the animal yields a better price. However, they can not be called grass fed if this is the practice. Bovine growth hormone (BGH) is also injected to make the cattle bigger and when we eat the BGH injected cattle, we in fact are eating BGH.

We can avoid the above mentioned problems. But, we must make the effort for safety sake. You must become a modern day hunter gatherer of healthy food. Put the effort in, it will benefit your health.

Benachour, Nora; Gilles-EricSeralini (December 23, 2008) “Glyphosate Formulations Induce Apoptosis and Necrosis in Human Umbilical, Embryonic, and Placental Cells” (http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/tx800218n.

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Billy E