News regarding the dangers of GMOs and biotech, and the advantages of organic sustainable agriculture.
Toxic Combo of Roundup and Fertilizers Blamed for Tens of Thousands of Deaths
The public’s appreciation of the toxicity of glyphosate—the active ingredient in Monsanto’s broad-spectrum herbicide Roundup—is still limited, despite highly damning research being published. The fact that Monsanto marketed Roundup as “environmentally friendly” and “biodegradable” probably has a lot to do with this general lack of insight. Mounting evidence shows glyphosate is FAR more toxic than anyone previously suspected, both alone and in combination with other additives, agricultural chemicals, and/or heavy metals. A pandemic of chronic kidney disease that is striking down farmers in Sri Lanka, India, and Central America's Pacific coastline, has been traced back to Roundup in combination with contaminated fertilizer. As reported by Lanka Business Online: “Chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) first appeared in Sri Lanka’s rice growing areas in the north central province in the 1990s and has been spreading into other areas including the South, with over 20,000 estimated deaths so far.”
World’s Number 1 Weed Killer Discovered in U.S. Mothers’ Breast Milk
In the first ever testing on glyphosate herbicide in the breast milk of American women, Moms Across America and Sustainable Pulse have found ‘high’ levels in 3 out of the 10 samples tested. The shocking results point to glyphosate levels building up in women’s bodies over a period of time, which has until now been refuted by both global regulatory authorities and the biotech industry. The levels found in the breast milk testing of 76 ug/l to 166 ug/l are 760 to 1600 times higher than the European Drinking Water Directive allows for individual pesticides. They are however less than the 700 ug/l maximum contaminant level (MCL) for glyphosate in the U.S., which was decided upon by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) based on the now seemingly false premise that glyphosate was not bio-accumulative. Glyphosate-containing herbicides are the top-selling herbicides in the world and are sold under trademarks such as Monsanto’s ‘Roundup’. Monsanto’s sales of Roundup jumped 73 percent to $371 million in 2013 because of its increasing use on genetically engineered crops (GE Crops).
Are California Almonds Destroying the U.S. Bee Supply?
Big Ag in California needs most of the U.S. bee supply transported to California to pollinate their almond crop, endangering the entire U.S. food system. 80% of the world's almonds come from California's Central Valley. Almonds are the #1 agricultural crop grown in California. It is a $4 billion industry. Big Ag in California needs almost 100% of the nation's bee supply transported to California this year to pollinate their almond crop, endangering the bee supply and the entire U.S. food system. Last year, many bees from northern climates arrived dead, forcing them to try and find bees as far away as Florida. Also, about 30% of the bees that went to California ended up dying according to one supplier. So the question we need to ask, and certainly one the USDA and FDA should be asking, is: Are we willing to risk our entire bee population on the California almond market?
World Bank Destroys Traditional Farming to Support GMO Corporate Land Theft
Smallholder farmers and herders are currently feeding 80 percent of the developing world. Casting them aside in favor of industrial farming corporations from the West betrays the World Bank’s reckless and short term approach to development. The World Bank is facilitating land grabs and sowing poverty by putting the interests of foreign investors (like Bill Gates) before those of locals. The Oakland Institute and /The Rules, along with other NGOs, farmer and consumer organizations from around the world have launched a campaign, Our Land Our Business, to hold the World Bank accountable for its role in the rampant theft of land and resources from some of the world’s poorest people--farmers, pastoralists, and indigenous communities, many of whom are essential food producers for the entire planet.
France Bans Monsanto GMO Corn
France's agriculture ministry has just banned the sale, use and cultivation of Monsanto's MON 810 genetically modified maize, the only variety currently authorised in the European Union. The French government, which maintains that GM crops present environmental risks, has been trying to institute a new ban on GM maize (corn) after its highest court has twice previously struck down similar measures. The decision is timed to avert any sowing of GM maize by farmers before a draft law is debated on April 10 aimed at banning planting of GMOs (genetically modified organisms).
FDA Fails to Protect Against Antibiotic Resistance, Guarantees More Needless Death and Suffering
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria infect two million Americans every year, causing at least 23,000 deaths. Nearly 25 million pounds of antibiotics are administered to US livestock every year for purposes other than treating disease, such as making the animals grow bigger faster. The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) ruled that antibiotic resistance is a major threat to public health worldwide, and the primary cause for this man-made epidemic is the widespread misuse of antibiotics. Denmark stopped the widespread use of antibiotics in their pork industry 14 years ago. The European Union has also banned the routine use of antibiotics in animal feed over concerns of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. What’s standing in the way of curbing antibiotic use in the U.S.? In a word, industry. For instance, the American Pork Industry doesn’t want to curb antibiotic use, as this would mean raising the cost of producing pork by an estimated $5 for every 100 pounds of pork brought to market. The pharmaceutical industry is obviously against it as well.
New Tactic in Stopping GMOs: Sue the GMO Farmer instead of Monsanto
Ever since the introduction of genetically modified crops into the food chain, the tussle has been largely between farmers and Monsanto , which says since 1997 it has filed 145 lawsuits against farmers who've improperly reused its patented seeds, or on average about one lawsuit every three weeks for 16 straight years. In that time frame, the biotech hasn't lost a single case, even when farmers like the organic growers who had their case against Monsanto tossed last year sued for cross-contamination of their crops. DuPont , the world's second-largest seed producer behind Monsanto, is similarly seeking to police the use of its seeds by hiring retired police officers to ferret out farmers allegedly improperly using its patented seeds. Defeating the well-financed GMO behemoth has been a losing battle, but that may be about to change. In 2010, a western Australia organic farmer, Steve Marsh, found that his harvest had been contaminated by his neighbor's genetically modified canola/rapeseed crops planted with Monsanto Roundup Ready seed. Marsh subsequently had 70% of his farm's organic status for produce stripped from him causing severe financial harm, some $85,000 in earnings. In a first of its kind lawsuit, Marsh is suing his neighbor for the loss resulting from the seeds blowing onto his oat and wheat crop, contaminating them.
Mexico Bans GM Soy in Campeche Region
Another court in Mexico has ruled against GMO crops. A ban against genetically modified soybeans in the Campeche region of Mexico was upheld last week by the Second District Court. This follows the decision by two other judges in Mexico last year (2013) to keep in place bans on GM corn. Could "Made in Mexico" become the new quality standard in organic agriculture for the future? Less than 1% of the population in the United States is involved in agriculture today, where it is dominated by biotech firms heading more and more to GMO seeds, supported by the U.S. government. Mexico, by contrast, still has over 13% of its population in agriculture, and much of that is still small-scale traditional farming. This is a smaller amount post NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), which opened the door for cheap subsidized crops from the U.S. to be imported to Mexico, putting many farmers out of work who could not compete with these cheap subsidized commodity crops from the U.S. If judges in Mexico continue ruling against biotech companies and their GMO products, Mexico could become a major exporter to the U.S. of high-quality non-GMO organic products. Almost all of the corn supply in the U.S., for example, has been contaminated by GM corn (even certified organic corn), while hundreds of heirloom varieties still exist in Mexico.
Dramatic Increase in Kidney Disease in the US and Abroad Linked To Roundup (Glyphosate) ‘Weedkiller’
Evidence now exists showing the herbicide Roundup (glyphosate) is responsible for an epidemic of kidney-related deaths in a rural farming region of Northern Sri Lanka, as well as other rural regions around the world, including Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The Center for Public Integrity released a report titled, "Sri Lanka bans Monsanto herbicide citing potential link to deadly kidney disease," citing Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's March 13th decision to impose an outright ban on glyphosate. This decision follows a decision by the legislature in El Salvador in 2013 to approve a ban on glyphosate. A series of graphs based on data from the USDA, National Cancer Institutes, Centers for Disease Control, have recently surfaced, depicting a steep rise in the rates of kidney disease in the US from the time of the introduction of glyphosate and GM food, reveals that the US may also be suffering from an epidemic of glyphosate-linked kidney damage.
Roundup Weedkiller Found In 75% of Air and Rain Samples, Gov. Study Finds
A study from the U.S. Geological Survey, in the journal Enviromental Toxicology and Chemistry, titled, "Pesticides in Mississippi air and rain: A comparison between 1995 and 2007," reveals that Roundup herbicide (aka glyphosate) and its still-toxic degradation byproduct AMPA were found in over 75% of the air and rain samples tested from Mississippi in 2007. Findings like these reveal just how illusory is the perception of choice and health freedom when it comes to the GM/non-GMO debate, and the consumer's right to avoid harm from GMOs by refusing to buy or consume them. The reality is that the environment is becoming so saturated with the 'fall out' from the ever-expanding GM agricultural/agrichemical farming grid that even if you somehow find a way to avoid eating contaminated food, you will be forced to have to deal with its adverse health effects, as long as you need air to breath and water to drink.
Common Weedkiller Used in Modern Agriculture Could be Main Factor in Gluten Intolerance
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, which is the most popular herbicide used worldwide, is shown by recent research to be linked to poor gut flora and poor digestion, suggesting that gluten and other proteins from plants sources may not be the main culprit in gluten sensitivities suffered by millions of people today. Dr. Stephanie Seneff was one of the first to link statin drug use and artificially lowering cholesterol levels with Alzheimer's Disease back in 2011. She is a controversial scientist with three degrees from MIT who is not constrained by Big Pharma funding. In her most recent research published in a peer-reviewed journal along with Anthony Samsel, she looks at the role of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, which is the most popular herbicide used worldwide, and its toxic effect in destroying our digestive system. It is linked to inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, depression, ADHD, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, multiple sclerosis, cancer, cachexia, infertility, and developmental malformations.
Government Abandons Attacks Against Michigan Family Farm Due to Public Pressure
In a stunning reversal of events, Jill Baker is reporting that the Michigan DNR has suddenly declared that all their pigs are "legal," and that they are now free to resume their heritage hog operation after two years of persecution by government officials in Michigan. The Michigan DNR put many small-scale family farms out of business in 2012 by ruling their heritage pigs as "feral" and illegal, by adopting a new definition of "feral." This new definition of “feral swine” adopted by the DNR in 2012 came directly from the commercial pork industry, which raises all commercial pork indoors in confinement. Most farms complied and killed off their herds, rather than face criminal prosecution. Mark Baker and Bakers Green Acres family farm resisted and fought a long costly legal battle for two years, while losing their hog business as the USDA refused to process their pigs.
FDA Starts to Take Control of American Organic Farms
Jim Crawford started New Morning Farm in Maryland many decades ago. He was young and idealistic. He had little or no money and had to start small. He believed in sustainable agriculture and wanted to produce fresh and healthy produce to sell in farmers’ markets to the urban public. He succeeded and became increasingly well known both for his ideals and his produce. This may be why the FDA picked him out for a site visit. An inspector appeared without warning and told him that his operation would have to change. It didn't matter that no health problem had ever been associated with Crawford’s impeccably run operation. The Food Safety Modernization Act for the first time gave the FDA direct authority over our farms. It should have been obvious to everyone that putting the FDA in direct charge of farms was a terrible idea. Much of the FDA’s budget is paid for by Big Pharma instead of the taxpayers, which creates a serious conflict of interest.
EPA Approves Bt Residues in Soy Foods from GM Crops as Legal
In what could easily be classified as one of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) worst decisions yet, a final rule released by the EPA earlier this month creates an exemption for residue tolerance levels of genetically modified (GM) Bt toxin in GM soy foods and feed. Essentially, the Agency has approved unlimited residues of GM Bt toxin in your food!
2014 Farm Bill & the Legalization of Hemp
Editor of Millennial Magazine, Britt Hysen, discusses the 2014 Farm Bill and the legalization of hemp as an agricultural commodity. Hemp is the sterile version of marijuana, and is sold legally in the U.S., but is illegal to grow. The 2014 Farm Bill removed some restrictions for research, but it stopped short of actually legalizing it. One week after the Farm Bill passed, Senators Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky introduced legislation to allow American farmers to cultivate and profit from industrial hemp. The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013 would remove federal restrictions on the domestic cultivation of industrial hemp. Specifically, the bill would remove hemp from the Schedule I controlled substance list under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, and would define it as a non-drug so long as it contained less than 0.3 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Prior to World War II, Kentucky provided 94 percent of the nation's industrial hemp. Today the U.S. is the world's largest consumer of hemp, but it remains the only major industrialized country that bans farming the product. U.S. imports have consistently grown over the past decade - increasing by 300 percent over that period.
Loophole in the Regulation of GMOs Allows Scotts Company to Commercialize Unregulated and Unapproved GM Kentucky Bluegrass
In July 2011, the USDA gave GMOs a regulatory hall pass. The agency determined that, thanks to a tiny technical loophole, they had no oversight over GMO Kentucky bluegrass. This meant that the grass—and any GMOs created via the same GMO technique—could be planted anywhere, at anytime, with zero government oversight. Late last month, Scott’s Miracle-Gro quietly announced that their employees will “test” the Roundup-resistant GMO grass by planting it in their home lawns in Marysville, Ohio. Scott’s hopes to have thousands more consumers planting their GMO grass by 2016—and thanks to the USDA, there’s no framework in place to keep this from happening. Alarmingly, if your neighbor plants GMO grass, your lawn may become full GMOs, too. Cross-contamination of non-GMO crops is already a reality. Pollen can travel anywhere from the length of three football fields to thousands of miles away. Given this, and the fact there’s little to no space between suburban lawns—it’s completely unrealistic to assume GMO grass will stay where it’s planted.
10 Years of Failure: Farmers in the Philippines Deceived by GM Corn
The Philippine group MASIPAG (Farmer-Scientist Partnership for Development) released a mini documentary on the deception and 10-year failure of GM corn in the Philippines. That same day, executives from Monsanto and Syngenta were awarded the Nobel award "World Food Prize" for their contribution to GM seed technology. “It is quite tragic that on World Food Day, huge agrochemical companies who wrested away farmers’ rights on seeds, caused environmental degradation and pollution of our valuable genetic resources are put in high regard, while small and resource-poor farmers who nurtured the seeds and who feed the population are left landless and hungry.”
Antibiotic Resistant Diseases? Blame the FDA and Their Protection of Big Pharma in Animal Feeds
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has known for more than 12 years that routine use of antibiotics in livestock is harmful to human health, yet it has taken no meaningful action. Routine use of antibiotics in food animals has promoted a rapid rise in antibiotic-resistant disease, which now claims more lives than emphysema, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, and homicide combined. Two million American adults and children become infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria each year, and at least 23,000 of them die as a direct result of those infections. Virtually all animal feed additives containing penicillin and tetracycline antibiotics—both of which are used to treat human disease—pose a “high risk” to human health, according to a new report. Many bacteria are developing cross resistance; a situation where a bacteria becomes resistant to multiple drugs, making them virtually impossible to eradicate once they infect you.
Oregon Farmer Wins Case Challenging Raw Milk Advertising Ban
The Oregon Department of Agriculture today agreed to stop enforcing that state’s ban on the advertisement of raw—or unpasteurized—milk. This comes in response to a Nov. 2013 federal lawsuit filed by Christine Anderson, owner of Cast Iron Farms in McMinnville, Ore. Until today, it was illegal for farmers like Christine to advertise that they sell raw milk, a perfectly legal product. This meant that Christine was banned from posting flyers at local stores, advertising sales online or via email, or displaying a roadside sign at the farm saying “WE SELL RAW MILK.” Christine was even ordered in 2012 to take down prices for her milk from the Cast Iron Farm website. If she did advertise her raw milk, she faced $6,250 in fines and civil penalties as high as $10,000—plus a year in jail.
Monarch Butterfly Numbers Drop to Lowest Level Since Records Started – GMO Crops Blamed
The monarch butterfly — an orange and black icon that is Minnesota’s state insect — is facing dire population declines that have resulted in the smallest wintertime habitat since surveys began in 1993, an international team of conservation scientists warned Wednesday. This year, conservationists say the area where the butterflies winter in Mexico was reduced by 44 percent, to just 1.7 acres. Karen Oberhauser, a University of Minnesota entomologist who’s spent 30 years studying the butterflies, says the expansion of genetically modified crops in the Corn Belt is the primary culprit behind precipitous monarch declines over the past three years. These crops allow farmers to use herbicides later in the growth cycle, which has led to vast reductions in native milkweed and nectar plants that the butterflies rely on during the breeding cycle. The monarch’s decline may be an indicator of larger ecological problems, she said. “What is happening to monarchs is also happening to many other uncounted organisms — organisms whose loss would be equally tragic,” Oberhauser said.