Thanks, Monsanto, for Polluting the Food Supply

Monsanto claimed that creating genetically modified (GM) plants resistant to herbicides and insecticides (so they could use lots of them on the crops) would reduce the need for them. (Not sure about that logic.) But it hasn't quite worked out that way. We now have a food supply laced with deadly herbicides and super weeds that don't respond to Monsanto's herbicide of choice, Round Up.

This definitely illustrates the law of unintended consequences. The result of Monsanto's activity is worrisome. The primary chemical killer in Roundup (the most widely used herbicide on the planet) is glyphosate. In a 15-year study by USDA microbiologist Robert Kremer the results were frightening in terms of its impact on fish, frog, and chicken embryos. Reports of impact on Roundup users in the U.S. and Great Britain include nausea, rash, gastrointestinal problems, headaches, kidney and liver impairment, seizures, etc.

In terms of the impact on plants, glyphosate is non-selective and kills everything around it: grasses, broad-leafed plants, etc. With regard to the targeted crops, it interferes with the plant absorbing trace minerals that are important for nutrition. I.e., it's nutritionally deficient and contains residue levels of the chemicals that are ingested by the consumer. It's also damaging the soil and changing the gut flora of the cattle who eat the GM feed making them more susceptible to botulism. Consider that gut flora is essential to the health of any mammal. Many diseases like Chron's disease, acid reflux, diverticulitis, inflammatory bowel disease, etc. are directly related to the healthy bacteria in the gut. If the pesticide-contaminated crops destroy the gut flora, we can expect an increasing problem with digestive illnesses.

Frankly I find this scary. Remember the hysteria over DDT? This is much bigger when you consider that we soon won't be able to find anything on supermarket shelves that isn't tainted with residues of glyphosate: corn, soy, canola oil, cottonseed oil, sugar beets, alfalfa, are mostly GM today. Read the labels and see how many foods have these ingredients. And consider that the animals we eat are consuming and absorbing the residue levels of these dangerous chemicals. See the video below and the article that accompanies it. And plant a big garden using heritage seeds!