Future of agriculture

This page will contain links to articles and videos about how our agriculture can develop and grow for the future.

Lets start with why this is important to look at. The following study was done by the ETC Group. Who will feed us? Peasant Food Web vs. The Industrial Food Chain.

Farms could slash pesticide use without losses, research reveals

HAPPY COWS AND TIGHTY-WHITEY TESTS: WELCOME TO THE FUTURE OF FARMING

COVER CROPS: GROWING SOLUTIONS RIGHT UNDER OUR FEET

Regeneration International

Cool the Planet. Feed the World.

This Tiny Country Feeds the World

This story appears in the September 2017 issue ofNational Geographic magazine. In a potato field near the Netherlands’ border with Belgium, Dutch farmer Jacob van den Borne is seated in the cabin of an immense harvester before an instrument panel worthy of the starship Enterprise.


California to be the first organic state?

With all the controversies around pesticides, herbicides, and other -cides it would be good for California to accelerate its move towards organic farming and become the first fully organic state in the U.S. I know it will take time, but better to once again be on the leading edge rather than wait for a major scandal in the agrochemical business to drive a call to rush towards organic food.

My suggestion for lawmakers are the following:

  1. Remove Section 11501.1 of the California Food and Agricultural Code. Section 11501.1 was written by the agrochemical industry (yes, corporations often provide text for laws and regulations!) and says that individual counties and cities in the state cannot have stricter standards than what state law provides. Removing it will allow cities and counties to make their own decisions, so the transition can happen over time. This will be a slow process, but it is a way for politicians to show they are looking ahead, and lets cities and counties respond to constituents’ concerns.
  2. All “-cides” must be proven by independent scientists to be safe before entering the market.
  3. No desiccants are allowed in California.
  4. No spraying of crops are allowed the last month before harvesting. This will remove some toxins at least.

If we are to make California the first organic state in the U.S., a time- and goal- based strategic plan is needed. Here are some suggestions:

  1. Planning for the transition. We need to educate farmers, and that means partnering with organic organizations, agriculture students, colleges and universities. We need the drafting of well thought-out proposed laws (that include backup plans for emergencies).
  2. Much of the agriculural land in California has been abused for years. Insect, soil, and plant diversity is out of balance. Buffer zones and some wild areas here and there will need to be included as balance is restored. During the first couple of years, spraying will be allowed if absolutely necessary.
  3. Farmers are going to need financial support during the transition as well as education and practical support. Current water policy favoring the large landowners in the Centeral Valley as well as farming subsidies will need to be altered to meet the changing needs. Cooperatives of farmers, experienced organic growers, and consumers may be a way to keep the growing and distribution system together during the transition.

The major obstacle to this plan is the economic clout of the agrochemical business and their sway over politicians at every level of government. We can be sure donations to politicians will skyrocket the moment this plan is suggested. Their next move will be to hit all the media with a food-security alert message to farmers and to the general public, saying that we can’t have farming without -cides. Yes we can! This is California! We can do anything!


Neonicotinoids

What are Neonicotinoids?

How it affects insects and diversity

Largest Ever Neonicotinoid Pesticides Study Shows Massive Damage to Bees

It’s official: A commonly used pesticide can harm bees

Two New Studies Confirm Common Insecticide Weakens Honeybee Hives

Neonicotinoids: new warning on pesticide harm to bees

Slugging it out with a new contender in the GMO debate

Honey tests reveal global contamination by bee-harming pesticides

Internationally

Total ban on bee-harming pesticides likely after major new EU analysis

Neonicotinoids: risks to bees confirmed

Bee-harming pesticides in 75 percent of honey worldwide: study

France Moves Ahead with Neonics Ban

Europe poised for total ban on bee-harming pesticides

UN experts denounce ‘myth’ pesticides are necessary to feed the world

Actions

In 2017 this list was sent to Amazon. It contains a list of over 100 products that was on their web site.

Products that contains neonicotinoids that are sold on Amazon


Genetically Modified Organisms – GMO

January 7th, 2017: Doctors Confirm First Human Death Officially Caused by GMO’s

Madrid – Doctors of the Carlos III hospital confirmed this morning in a press conference, the first case of human death caused by the ingestion of genetically modified food. Juan Pedro Ramos died from anaphylaxis after eating some recently developed tomatoes containing fish genes, which provoked a violent and lethal allergic reaction.

Article is here.

GMO using RNA

The GMO Agenda Takes a Menacing Leap Forward with EPA’s Silent Approval of Monsanto/Dow’s RNAi Corn

GM Wheat May Damage Human Genetics Permanently

CRISPR

Top Monsanto Executive Appears on Fox News to Promote Newest Unlabeled Type of GMOs in Our Food Supply

GMO information

It is at times difficult to find reliable information on GMO in U.S. media. Very often we have to look at other countries and what they are doing. The U.S. corporations have a lot of power through lobbyists and money.

GM Crops Now Banned in 38 Countries Worldwide – Sustainable Pulse Research (2015)

Glyphosate: Why Eating Organic Really Does Matter

How GMO Farming and Food Is Making Our Gut Flora UNFRIENDLY

Seedy Business: What Big Food is Hiding with its GMO PR Campaign

GMO) Corn products and derivatives list

GMO talking points

GMO internationally

Syngenta Loses $218 Million Verdict in First GMO Trial Test

 


Helping our environment

There are inventions that helps clean up our garbage. The question that bothers me is why we need these inventions. Why don’t people take responsibility for their surroundings?

The title of this page is important. It is OUR environment we are talking about. We are a part of it and share it with other beings. Often when I read articles there are always a distance between the author and nature. As if nature and environment is somehow not a part of their lives. We need to be aware of how we address issues and make them personal to us.


The Ocean Cleanup

This project is one that I appreciate a lot. I grew up along the coast of Norway and the sea has always been important to me.

 


Mr. Trash Wheel.


Glyphosate and Roundup

It is time to say goodbye to using glyphosate and Roundup. The amount of evidence of how harmful it is is mounting. Here is a short summary (16 pages) of what we know about glyphosate today. And here is a 96-page summary of scientific independent studies and reports on glyphosate with references. Here is a link to an article that lists 40 studies done on rodents, and here are around 118 other studies. On documentcloud.org you can search for documents that have been uploaded by journalists and other organizations that do research. Click here for glyphosate related documents.

The main problem for us today is that glyphosate is in the food that most of us eat daily. You can reduce the exposure by changing to organic food. The most important ingredients to change are grains, soy and corn. Here is a map showing where glyphosate is applied the most. Not all areas have data.

A quick note about how dangerous pesticides are in these two articles linked from this article.
Ryan Rifai, “UN: 200,000 die each year from pesticide poisoning,” Al-Jazeera, March 8, 2017, at http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/03/200000-die-year-pesticide-poisoning-170308140641105.html.
Even the somewhat sexist Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF) stated almost five years ago that “pesticides and harmful chemicals cause more than 900,000 deaths annually.” See WECF, “Pesticides and harmful chemicals cause more than 900,000 deaths annually,” WECF website, Oct. 10, 2012, at http://www.wecf.eu/english/articles/2012/10/pesticides-africa.php.

We have also learned through one court case that Monsanto and a senior EPA official were working together to stop an investigation about how dangerous glyphosate is. Of course, that is not evidence that glyphosate is dangerous, but it certainly doesn’t contribute to the public opinion of Monsanto or their products.

In February 2017 a court ruled against Monsanto to allow California to put cancer warning on Roundup. And on June 27th it was final. More information here. This happened because IARC made the decision to go public with their findings about glyphosate. Monsanto is now working overtime to turn the IARC decision that Roudup is a probable carcinogen through their PR organization CAPHR (Campaign for Accuracy in Public Health Research). One article is here.

Read more about cover-up further down.

Popular weed killer faces lawsuit over cancer claims

Future

U.N. experts have denounced the myth that we need pesticides and herbicides to feed the worlds population. The developments in agroecology has come so far that we can replace chemicals with biology, making it possible to grow enough food on this planet to nourish the worlds population without pesticides.

Scientists are warning that with the current soil degradation, we might have only 60 years left of farming the way we know it today.

A few links about why it is important what you eat:
Glyphosate: Why Eating Organic Really Does Matter.
How GMO Farming and Food Is Making Our Gut Flora UNFRIENDLY.

There are also strong push from consumers to mark all products to know what is inside. Glyphosate Residue Free Certification Creates New Transparency Shift for US Consumers. In many cities and counties there are now actions taken to stop the use of glyphosate based herbicides. San Clemente Creates Commission to Consider Curbing Herbicide Use. In general organic food is more nutritious and Harvard’s School of Public Health Urges Eating Organic.

Herbicides like glyphosate/Roundup was introduced to increase yields. However, there is no scientific research that support that. In fact, Burkina Faso experienced the opposite. African Country Ditches GE Cotton, Non-GMO Cotton Output Rises 20 Percent.

Many weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to glyphosate/Roundup. Which means you are spraying something that might be useless around your home, but can be dangerous to yourself, your loved ones and other beings.

However, for the agriculture business it is much worse. Most farmers today totally rely on Roundup in their farming practice, and it will normally take about three to five years to change over to an organic farm. This is where the agriculture subsidies should go. Not to buy pesticides (herbicides, insecticides etc.)

Alternatives to Roundup

The best solution is to make the soil healthy. I would contact an expert. The city of Irvine changed from using glyphosate based products to an organic non-toxic approach and they got in an expert that taught how to manage their parks and other areas. Integrated pest management (IPM) is important in this regard. If it looks different from grass, it doesn’t mean it is a weed. Myths: Busted–Clearing Up the Misunderstandings about Organic Farming

Here are some tips for lawns, gardens and landscaping.

There are some alternatives that can be used. They might not kill the root, but they will kill the leaves. Mostly people are using vinegar (20%, regular is 7%), certain soaps and/or essential oils like citrus oil. Some have found that a mixture of these are more effective.

Look for products that are “OMRI listed” or “USDA Organic” (or other certification icons.) Please read the labels on how to handle any of these products.

Rocket weeder

Non-Toxic Alternatives to RoundUp

Is There a Safe Alternative to Roundup?

Safe alternative to Roundup

BURNOUT, Weed & Grass Killer

AllDown This you need to be careful about. It is 23% vinegar.

How to get Roundup out of our communities

The City of Irvine (I will use them as an example) have changed to a non-toxic approach. Sonoma County, CA is also considering their use of herbicides.

How Irvine Became SoCal’s First Non-Toxic City

The web site for Non Toxic Irvine. The group that started the change. They have a lot of resources on how you can work on cleaning up your city or community.

The film below will go through many of the arguments on this page, but it will not show the sources. However, here is a report on scientific research that we currently have on glyphosate/Roundup.

How to protect yourself from glyphosate

24 Ways To Protect Yourself From Glyphosate

Print this List! 400 Companies that Don’t put GMO Ingredients in their Food

Difference between Glyphosate and Roundup

It is important to differentiate between glyphosate and Roundup in a discussion about health concerns. Glyphosate seems to be less harmful than Roundup in most tests.

Research released ahead of print and published in the journal Archives of Toxicology indicates that Roundup, the most common formulation of the herbicide glyphosate, is not only more toxic than its constituent ingredients, but is capable of damaging DNA within a human cell line when diluted down to 450-fold lower concentrations than presently used in GMO agricultural applications. In the researchers’ own words, Roundup has “genotoxic effects after short exposure to concentrations that correspond to a 450-fold dilution of spraying used in agriculture.”

Here is a report about “Differential Effects of Glyphosate and Roundup on Human Placental Cells and Aromatase“.

“Roundup is always more toxic than its active ingredient. We tested the effects of glyphosate and Roundup at lower nontoxic concentrations on aromatase, the enzyme responsible for estrogen synthesis. The glyphosate-based herbicide disrupts aromatase activity and mRNA levels and interacts with the active site of the purified enzyme, but the effects of glyphosate are facilitated by the Roundup formulation in microsomes or in cell culture. We conclude that endocrine and toxic effects of Roundup, not just glyphosate, can be observed in mammals. We suggest that the presence of Roundup adjuvants enhances glyphosate bioavailability and/or bioaccumulation.”

Glyphosate in human beings

There is no doubt that if you are living in the U.S. there is a 90+% chance that you have glyphosate in your body. Many people will not be affected or believe they are affected by it.

We will take a look at some research to see where the exposure comes from and what effects it has on human cells and your body.

How are we exposed to glyphosate?

Most of us are exposed from the food we eat and the water we drink. Others are exposed directly from spraying it in their gardens/farms or from their pets walking through it.

However, a study done in Mississippi and Iowa (partially Indiana) during growing season, showed 60-100% of the samples contained glyphosate. Rain can effectively remove it from the air, but then it will be in the water.

Testing of groundwater in Catalonia, Spain showed that 41% of 140 groundwater tests showed very high levels of contamination. Which again indicates that Roundup/glyphosate does NOT break down as easily in nature as we have been told.

What most people doesn’t know is that glyphosate is being used as a ripening agent (desiccant) just before harvesting. This means there is residue of glyphosate on the food that we buy. EPA have approved it for use on 161 products. However, I have not been able to find that list.

The Monsanto Papers and Weedkiller in Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream—What’s the Connection?

Canadian Food Inspection Agency Finds Residues of Glyphosate in One-Third of Food Products Tested

Shredded Wheat: 100 Percent Whole Grain With a Touch of Weed Killer

Federal lawsuit against Sioux Honey stayed

Glyphosate in Napa Valley Groundwater

Bold, fruity, with a hint of RoundUp…

Activists stir debate over reported weed killer in wines

Monsanto’s Glyphosate Found in California Wines, Even Wines Made With Organic Grapes

I-Team investigates controversy over weed killer and California wine

A lab test of ten California wines concluded they all contained trace amounts of the active ingredient from some weed-killers, glyphosate. Whether that is cause for concern is a matter of great dispute. We know how important this issue is to so many people, so we traveled to St.

How glyphosate is being promoted to farmers:

Glyphosate as a Pre-Harvest Aid in Small-Grains (07/17/14)

Preharvest herbicide applications can help wheat growers control weedy fields at harvest

CRISPR

Top Monsanto Executive Appears on Fox News to Promote Newest Unlabeled Type of GMOs in Our Food Supply

GMO Citrus Coming to a Store Near You?

Bayer Begins Training Thousands of Farmers for “Re-Education” on GMOs

What effects does glyphosate or Roundup have on human beings?

Research published in 2012 shows that Roundup diluted 450 times compared to GMO agricultural application, will harm human DNA. Of course, you will say that our body can fix itself. That is true, but it depends on the scale of harm it is exposed to and what environment you are in. You can fall down a ladder, but the outcome depends on how you land.

People that is directly exposed to glyphosate can have severe respiratory symptoms as this report from North-Carolina and Iowa shows. Keep in mind that we are talking about farmers that are using it on their farms and are exposed to higher dosages than regular home users. However, do we want our farmers to become sick?

Testing done on rats in Brazil in 2003 showed increased risk of teratogenicity (skeletal alterations on fetuses). This is likely to happen to humans as well if we get exposed to high doses of Roundup.

In France in 2009 they did tests on human cells to see if diluted glyphosate and Roundup would kill them. It did.

Here is from a report by Céline Gasnier, Coralie Dumont, Nora Benachour, Emilie Clair, Marie-Christine Chagnon, Gilles-Eric Séralini on “Glyphosate-based herbicides are toxic and endocrine disruptors in human cell lines“.

Abstract:
Glyphosate-based herbicides are the most widely used across the world; they are commercialized in different formulations. Their residues are frequent pollutants in the environment. In addition, these herbicides are spread on most eaten transgenic plants, modified to tolerate high levels of these compounds in their cells. Up to 400 ppm of their residues are accepted in some feed. We exposed human liver HepG2 cells, a well-known model to study xenobiotic toxicity, to four different formulations and to glyphosate, which is usually tested alone in chronic in vivo regulatory studies. We measured cytotoxicity with three assays (Alamar Blue®, MTT, ToxiLight®), plus genotoxicity (comet assay), anti-estrogenic (on ER,ER) and anti-androgenic effects (on AR) using gene reporter tests. We also checked androgen to estrogen conversion by aromatase activity and mRNA. All parameters were disrupted at sub-agricultural doses with all formulations within 24 h. These effects were more dependent on the formulation than on the glyphosate concentration. First, we observed a human cell endocrine disruption from 0.5 ppm on the androgen receptor in MDA-MB453-kb2 cells for the most active formulation (R400), then from 2 ppm the transcriptional activities on both estrogen receptors were also inhibited on HepG2. Aromatase transcription and activity were disrupted from 10 ppm. Cytotoxic effects started at 10 ppm with Alamar Blue assay (the most sensitive), and DNA damages at 5 ppm. A real cell impact of glyphosate-based herbicides residues in food, feed or in the environment has thus to be considered, and their classifications as carcinogens/mutagens/reprotoxics is discussed.
© 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”

Uncovered: Monsanto campaign to get Séralini study retracted

Human Breast Milk Found Unsafe – High Levels of Glyphosate
https://healthimpactnews.com/2015/human-breast-milk-found-unsafe-high-levels-of-glyphosate/

Glyphosate Herbicide Found in Urine of 93% of Americans
https://healthimpactnews.com/2016/cancer-causing-glyphosate-herbicide-found-in-urine-of-93-of-americans/

Diseases and medical problems

People using glyphosate or are exposed to it in other ways, can get non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer etc. There are also studies that suggest glyphosate causes non-alcoholic liver disease, autoimmune diseases etc. At the moment it is not decided in the U.S. that glyphosate or Roundup is the cause for cancer.

Glyphosate was patented as an antibiotic … is this contributing to antibiotic resistance?

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Twenty-five percent of the U.S. population suffers from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Risk factors include obesity, diabetes, and high blood fat levels. But there are risk factors for the disease that have not yet been identified, and it’s possible that exposure to Roundup could be one such missing risk factor.”

Breaking: New Independent Study Shows that Monsanto’s Weedkiller Roundup Causes Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease at Very Low Doses
http://www.fooddemocracynow.org/blog/2017/jan/10-2

Mesnage R, Renney G, Séralini GE, Ward M, Antoniou MN. Multiomics reveal non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats following chronic exposure to an ultra-low dose of Roundup herbicide. Scientific Reports, 2016; 6:39328. http://www.nature.com/articles/srep39328

Multiomics reveal non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats following chronic exposure to an ultra-low dose of Roundup herbicide

Triggering autoimmune disease

Glyphosate destroys the gut and triggers autoimmune disease — Health & Wellness — Sott.net
https://www.sott.net/article/312956-Glyphosate-destroys-the-gut-and-triggers-autoimmune-disease

Glyphosate and Autism

The studies below need more evaluation to make sure they are accurate. However, they might be an indication that we are not dealing with autism, but symptoms caused by microbial imbalance in the intestines.

Study: Reducing Herbicide Glyphosate in Diet Reduces Autism Symptoms
http://healthimpactnews.com/2017/study-reducing-herbicide-glyphosate-in-diet-reduces-autism-symptoms/

Elevated Urinary Glyphosate and Clostridia Metabolites With Altered Dopamine Metabolism in Triplets With Autistic Spectrum Disorder
https://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/articles-1/2017/2/13/elevated-urinary-glyphosate-and-clostridia-metabolites-with-altered-dopamine-metabolism-in-triplets-with-autistic-spectrum-disorder-or-suspected-seizure-disorder-a-case-study

Cancer

On this topic we need to take a look at GMO corn as well as that does contain glyphosate or Roundup. There have been done some studies in Europe that showed a high risk of certain types of cancers. The development of cancer happens over time. One study by Dr. Seraline was retracted. Not because the testing was done wrong, but because an ex-Monsanto employee became the editor for the journal. Officially it was because the review panel thought they had used too few animals and they had used Sprague–Dawley rats. You can read some of the results here. However, the study has been republished later in other publications.

Monsanto Secret Documents Show Massive Attack on Seralini Study

Of mice, Monsanto and a mysterious tumor.

34 Years Later, Monsanto’s Mysterious Mouse Tumor Study Resurfaces

Monsanto studies that was used to say that glyphosate is safe

Glyphosate induces human breast cancer cells growth via estrogen receptors.

An article about how Monsanto made EPA change research report from glyphosate classified as a carcinogenic to not.

One study looked at how glyphosate can drive breast cancer proliferation.

Research done in Italy indicates that there is a higher risk for children to develop leukemia when living near arable crops. This study does not talk explicitly about glyphosate, but it is one of the toxins used. The number of children was too low to have a definite answer, but high enough that more investigation is advised. “RESULTS: Childhood leukemia risk did not increase in relation with any of the crop types with the exception of arable crops, characterized by the use of 2.4-D, MCPA, glyphosate, dicamba, triazine and cypermethrin. The very few children (n=11) residing close to arable crops had an OR for childhood leukemia of 2.04 (95% CI 0.50-8.35), and such excess risk was further enhanced among children aged<5 years.”

Evidence EPA Colluded With Monsanto to Dismiss Cancer Concerns Grows Stronger

Fertility

Studies show glyphosate-based herbicides disrupt male fertility

Dr. Nardi: Soy Milk and Glyphosate Lowers Testosterone and Damages Sperm

Glyphosate impairs male offspring reproductive development by disrupting gonadotropin expression

Hormones

Co-Formulants in Glyphosate-Based Herbicides Disrupt Aromatase Activity in Human Cells below Toxic Levels

Early birth

Moms Exposed To Monsanto Weed Killer Means Bad Outcomes For Babies

Agricultural pesticide use and adverse birth outcomes in the San Joaquin Valley of California

Suicide

Glyphosate herbicides have been used in self-poisonings and many deaths have occurred, especially in Asia, from as little as 3/4 of a cup of formulated product.

Other concerns

High levels of glyphosate in breast milk. The number of women in this study is very low, but I found it worth adding since it  indicate that glyphosate is bio-accumulative, meaning that it builds up in the body.

Animals

The High Cost of Pesticides: Human and Animal Diseases

Glyphosate in soil and water

Impact on the soil

“New research indicates that Roundup is having a negative impact on the microdiversity of the soil, including microorganisms of food interest, and specifically those found in raw and fermented foods.”

There is one study in France that indicate that not all parts of Roundup are broken down, and that one glyphosate metabolite (aminomethylphosphonic acid) accumulates in the soil. As a result the soil might become less sustainable over time.

“Changes in the dissipation or distribution of glyphosate following repeated applications of glyphosate may be related to shifts in the soil microbial community composition.” Jan 01, 2010

“Glyphosate applied to GR soybean, regardless of cultivar, negatively impacts the complex interactions of microbial groups, biochemical activity and root growth that can have subsequent detrimental effects on plant growth and productivity.”Jan 01, 2011

Earthworms avoid glyphosate-based herbicide. Feb 01, 2004

Glyphosate alters the pH of soil and subsequently the microflora populations. Jul 01, 2006

Glyphosate and 2,4-D demonstrated severe effects on the development and reproduction of earthworms.

Glyphosate is highly toxic to Stam and Propanil soil organisms.

Glyphosate-based herbicides alter the growth of microfungi in soil. Feb 01, 2010

Roundup(®) has an inhibitory effect on microbial growth and a microbicide effect at lower concentrations than those recommended in agriculture. Feb 24, 2012

Glyphosphate exhibits toxicity as very low concentrations. Jan 01, 2011

Impact on water

Glyphosate persistence in seawater was tested in Australia in 2014. Abstract: “Glyphosate is one of the most widely applied herbicides globally but its persistence in seawater has not been reported. Here we quantify the biodegradation of glyphosate using standard ‘‘simulation’’ flask tests with native bacterial populations and coastal seawater from the Great Barrier Reef. The half-life for glyphosate at 25°C in low-light was 47 days, extending to 267 days in the dark at 25°C and 315 days in the dark at 31°C, which is the longest persistence reported for this herbicide. AMPA, the microbial transformation product of glyphosate, was detected under all conditions, confirming that degradation was mediated by the native microbial community. This study demonstrates glyphosate is moderately persistent in the marine water under low light conditions and is highly persistent in the dark. Little degradation would be expected during flood plumes in the tropics, which could potentially deliver dissolved and sediment-bound glyphosate far from shore.

Glyphosate persistence in seawater

Studies Link Monsanto’s Glyphosate to Ocean Death

Counties, cities and schools that use organic methods

Marin county, CA
Malibu, CA
LAUSD
Arcata, CA
Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Cruz, CA
K-8 CT state schools
K-12 NY state schools
Harvard University
Philips Andover Academy, NH
Granby, Essex, Cheshire and Plainville, CT
Wichita and Lawrence, KS
Seattle Park and Recreation Dept.
Seattle University
Evergreen State College
Bastyr University
Bainbridge Island
Lynwood
Portland, OR
Salem, OR
Eugene, OR
Chariho Soccer Fields, Hope Valley, RI
Newton, Marblehead and Wellesley, MA
Mankato Schools, MN

Politicians and Monsanto

The spending bill that was passed this spring (2017), included a provision to promote GE (Genetically Engineered) crops. It is supposed to promote GE crops based on scientific based information based on nutrition, environmental impact, food safety, economic, and humanitarian impacts. If that is true, it will fail on all accounts and the government have wasted $3 million. Scientist’s ground-breaking research uncovers new risks of GMOs, glyphosate.

Exerpts from this article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/healthline-/does-roundup-cause-cancer_b_11822264.html

“Clinton’s relationship with Monsanto dates back to when she worked at the Rose Law Firm in Arkansas, where Monsanto was a client.

Monsanto reportedly gave between $500,000 and $1 million to the Clinton Foundation, which has been in the news this week after critics said the organization traded donations for access to the State Department.”

“His (Donald Trump) reported stock holdings in the company may or may not have influenced him to delete a tweet that slammed Monsanto.”

3/10/2017: EPA Sued for Failure to Release Glyphosate Documents

Open letter to the Grocery Manufacturers Association, Dr. Nancy Swanson

A little history: The poisoning of our food supply

Why the FDA doesn’t really know what’s in your food

EPA had a hearing in Sacramento, CA about the safety level of glyphosate.

Monsanto’s Roundup Under Fire in CA

Dozens Speak Out Against Monsanto’s Roundup at OEHHA Glyphosate Hearing

Judge Says Public Doesn’t Need Cancer Warning Label

Cover up

There are now mounting evidence that Monsanto has been working with government agencies and other organizations to cover up how dangerous glyphosate is.

Evidence EPA Colluded With Monsanto to Dismiss Cancer Concerns Grows Stronger

Has Monsanto Orchestrated a Massive Cancer Coverup? Unsealed Court Case Documents Point to a Scandal

New ‘Monsanto Papers’ Add To Questions Of Regulatory Collusion, Scientific Mischief

Monsanto Faces Hundreds of New Cancer Lawsuits as Debate Over Glyphosate Rages On

Link Between Roundup and Cancer Blamed for Lymphoma, Arizona

Looks like Monsanto has taken over the USDA too. USDA Drops Plan To Test For Monsanto Weed Killer In Food.

USDA Says No Regulation Needed for New GMO Grass From Monsanto And Scotts.

Monsanto Weed Killer Roundup Faces New Doubts on Safety in Unsealed Documents

Then there are a couple of articles by New York Times about how agriculture chemical companies influence the scientific research. The articles takes on Syngenta, but in the articlse they argue that this is common for all the big companies. Including Monsanto.

Fact-Checking a Claim About a Weed Killer. This study is about paraquat.

Scientists Loved and Loathed by an Agrochemical Giant

Independent GMO research is trashed: scientists hounded & silenced

Honest Scientists who Question GMOs are Attacked and Silenced

Research Group That Takes Millions from Monsanto Finds GMOs Pose No Threat to Health

Monsanto Tribunal Judges Slam Monsanto over Violation of Human Rights

Monsanto’s Army of Online Bullies

Sugar companies to launch GMO education campaign

The Swamp, an article by Evaggelos Vallianatos sheds light on the testing of pesticides that was done by Industrial Biotest headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois.

One paragraph from the article: “Roundup is a carcinogen. It includes glyphosate, carcinogens like formaldehyde, and other chemicals, some of which may be more toxic than the IBT-tested glyphosate. The pesticides law classifies these toxic materials as “inerts.”

Then we have the EU failing to ban glyphosate: EU authorities broke their own rules and brushed aside evidence of cancer to keep glyphosate on the market

Uncovered: Monsanto campaign to get Séralini study retracted

Looks like Monsanto is trying to scare people from supporting organizations that are against glyphosate and other pesticides: https://www.march-against-monsanto.com/breaking-news-personal-information-of-millions-at-risk-as-monsanto-hits-activist-group-with-court-subpoena/

Internationally

Trump to Force Toxic GMOs on other Countries

Never heard about Codex Alimentarius and Monsanto’s Toxic Relations? I hadn’t either until I read about their ties.

Europe

Monsanto Faces Blowback Over Cancer Cover-Up

Press Release: New Study: Glyphosate persists! And European top soils are contaminated with it.

Distribution of glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) in
agricultural topsoils of the European Union

MEPs call for full ban of Glyphosate by the end of 2020

New Study Shows Glyphosate Contaminated Soils Put Half of Europe at Risk

Belgium bans glyphosate herbicide use for non-professionals

European glyphosate reassessment is corrupt

Crushing blow to soy processors as Chinese grow wary on GMO

Philippines’ Supreme Court bans development of genetically engineered products, 2015

China

Reuters.com, 4/28/2017: Crushing blow to soy processors as Chinese grow wary on GMO

China To Lease 3 Million Hectares Of Ukrainian Farmland

China looks abroad for greener pastures

Chinese policy on GMOs exhibits a double-standard

Chinese official lambasts GMOs, calls for immediate studies

GMO battle escalates in China

Asia

Sri Lanka was the first country to ban it completely, although that ban may be partially relaxed. The European Union has extended approval for glyphosate for only 18 months instead of the usual 15 years, has banned the use of the surfactant POEA in formulations, and proposed minimised preharvest use and use in public places. The European Food Safety Authority stated that there are so many data gaps for POEA that establishing acceptable exposure limits is impossible. Italy has also banned the preharvest use of glyphosate, its use in public places and those frequented by children and the elderly, and non-agricultural use on soils with high sand content to reduce the potential for contamination of groundwater.

Are substantial equivalence & safety studies for GM soy fraudulent? A Japanese report from May, 2001.

Africa

Debate over glyphosate rages in South Africa. Cancer rates up from 1 in a 1000 to 1 in 3.

Americas

Poison Foods of Canada

Brazil becomes the newest country to refuse GMO imports from the United States

Action

There is a web site that have gathered information about glyphosate and material that you can use to get informed and take action. Here is a link to their Glyphosate Toolkit. There are links to documents in this document. If you can’t find it, send me an email and I will send you the documents that I have. They have also created a library of documents that you can studyMomsacrossAmerica.org are also working to remove glyphosate from schools and public areas. They also have information and action items.

NontoxicIrvine.com has information about what can be used instead of glyphosate and other toxins. They can also give information on how to form a group to stop the use of glyphosate in your community.

California is explicitly preempting local authority on pesticides. This prohibit counties and cities from restricting glyphosate on a local level. In other words, we need to change the state law. In 2008, California State Assemblywomen Fiona Ma introduced AB977 to overturn the California state law that prohibits the restriction of pesticides by local jurisdictions. However, it did not receive 2/3 of the votes.

Contacts in California:

State Pesticide Agency:
California Department of Pesticide Regulation
Brian Leahy, Director
1001 I Street, PO Box 4015
Sacramento, CA 95812-4015
Telephone: (916) 445-4000
Email: Brian.Leahy@cdpr.ca.gov

State Health Agency:
California Health and Human Services
1600 Ninth Street, Room 460
Sacramento, CA 95814
Telephone: (916) 654-3454

State Education Agency:
California Department of Education
School and District Operations Branch
Facilities Planning Division

Fred Yeager
1430 N Street, Suite 1201
Sacramento, CA 95814
Telephone: (916) 322-2470
Email: fyeager@cde.ca.gov

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
U.S. EPA Region 9
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
Telephone: (866) EPA-WEST / (415) 947-8000
Email: r9.info@epa.gov


 Need to be categorized and further examination

Neil deGrasse Tyson Narrates New Doc ‘Food Evolution’: A Blatant Case of Monsanto Corporate Propaganda

An Independent Study: Is There Something in our Environment Causing an Increase in our Health Issues?

The Importance of Testing for Glyphosate: The World’s Most Widely Used Herbicide — The Great Plains Laboratory, Inc.

BY WILLIAM SHAW, PHD, AND MATTHEW PRATT-HYATT, PHD
DIRECTOR AND ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE GREAT PLAINS LABORATORY, INC. – PUBLISHED IN THE JANUARY 2017 ISSUE OF TOWNSEND LETTER

https://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/articles-1/2017/1/23/the-importance-of-testing-for-glyphosate-the-worlds-most-widely-used-herbicide

ALERT: Certified Organic Food Grown in U.S. Found Contaminated with Glyphosate Herbicide

“Thus we have perhaps the most acutely toxic element of the GMO industry, glyphosate, being spread around on non-GMO crops. So much for labeling. Even USDA certified organic grains like oats and wheat have been found to be contaminated with glyphosate.”

https://healthimpactnews.com/2014/alert-certified-organic-food-grown-in-u-s-found-contaminated-with-glyphosate-herbicide/

Articles and claims that need more research:

From Bad To Worse: Glyphosate, Recently Linked to Cancer, Now Possibly Linked to Anencephaly

MIT Researcher: Glyphosate Herbicide will Cause Half of All Children to Have Autism by 2025
https://healthimpactnews.com/2014/mit-researcher-glyphosate-herbicide-will-cause-half-of-all-children-to-have-autism-by-2025/

Common Weedkiller Used in Modern Agriculture Could be Main Factor in Gluten Intolerance

Anthony Samsel and Stephanie Seneff published as study titled: Glyphosate, pathways to modern diseases II: Celiac sprue and gluten intolerance in Interdiscip Toxicol. 2013; Vol. 6 (4): 159–184. They produced the following chart showing a correlation between glyphosate use on wheat and Celiac disease: – See more at: http://healthytraditions.com/glyphosate-tested/#sthash.53t2TrPk.dpuf

http://www.intertox.sav.sk/ITX_pdf/06_04_2013/10102-Volume6_Issue_4-01_paper.pdf

Dr. Mercola Interviews Dr. Huber about Glyphosate – YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENmc9kHnvbo

 


Environment

A selection of stories from The New Yorker’s archive: Revisiting “Silent Spring”

is a big topic and we have broken it down in specific pages for each area.

EPA – Environment Protection Agency

Climate change

Clean water

is under attack these days by the new administration.

It all started out by removing the ‘Stream Protection Rule’ that was installed to stop coal companies from dumping coal in streams. To most Americans it would sound logical to stop mine companies from polluting streams. There are people living further down that would be affected. Not to mention animals and forests that will be affected. And the rule would only affect about 124 jobs. However, the rule was removed in February 2017.

“Appalachian Voices, an environmental group, estimates that coal companies have buried over 2,000 miles of streams in the region through mountaintop removal mining since the 1990s. And there’s growing evidence that when mining debris and waste gets into water supplies, the toxic metals can have dire health impacts for the people and mostly rural communities living nearby.”

http://www.vox.com/2017/2/2/14488448/stream-protection-rule


The next one on the chopping block will not be so easy to remove. This one is already approved, but held in courts at the moment. Then Pruitt will have to come up with a better plan that is scientifically based. Without EPA’s scientists I am not sure how he will be able to do that!

http://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/2/28/14761236/wotus-waters-united-states-rule-trump