Glyphosate, what’s the big deal?

Monsanto denies that Glyphosate is linked with cancer.  Other industry experts in this interview disagree and claim that there are many links with cancer as well as severe environmental damage.

Long term use lowered yield due to ever more glyphosate resistant weeds

“Widespread use of glyphosate has led to the evolution of glyphosate-resistant weeds covering an estimated 120 million hectares globally in 2010. So far, 23 species of weeds have been recorded, forcing Monsanto to acknowledge the problem and protect their profits by declaring that their warranty does not cover yield losses. Glyphosate-resistant weeds are threatening the utility of glyphosate and glyphosate-tolerant crops. Resistant weeds are likely responsible for increased herbicide use. Argentinian use went from 2 to 20 liters per hectare between 1996 and 2010.” PermaCultureNews explains. That is a 10 fold increase of a toxic matter.

The National Pesticide Information Center reports that glyphosate is linked to cancer and to skeletal mal formation in the fetus.

When high doses were administered to laboratory animals, some studies suggest that glyphosate has carcinogenic potential. Some studies also have associated glyphosate use with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Glyphosate exposure has been linked to developmental and reproductive effects at high doses that were administered to rats repeatedly during pregnancy. These doses made the mother rats sick. The rat fetuses gained weight more slowly, and some fetuses had skeletal defects. These effects were not observed at lower doses.  Doses have been increased by 10 fold due to the fact that weed it proposes to eradicate actually grows immune.

Nature announces glyphosate probably carcinogenic to humans.

Nature reported on March 23, 2015 that the World Health Organization release a report stating:  “The cancer-research arm of the World Health Organization last week announced that glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide, is probably carcinogenic to humans.”

The Oncology Lancet reported in March, 2015, 17 experts from 11 countries met at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC; Lyon, France) to assess the carcinogenicity of the organophosphate pesticides tetrachlorvinphos, parathion, malathion, diazinon, and glyphosate (table). These assessments will be published as volume 112 of the IARC Monographs.

Wenonah Hauter’s investigative article in Ecowatch, a foremost provider of scientifically-based, environmental news explains why the scientific studies are often so feeble about reporting their findings.  She wrote:  “Under the Influence: The National Research Council and GMOs charts the millions of dollars in donations the NRC receives from biotech companies like Monsanto, documents the one-sided panels of scientists the NRC enlists to carry out its GMO studies and describes the revolving door of NRC staff directors who shuffle in and out of agriculture and biotech industry groups. The new issue brief also shows how NRC routinely arrives at watered-down scientific conclusions on agricultural issues based on industry science.” Full article

The American Cancer Society gives glyphosate a 2A rating which means it it probably causes cancer in humans.  More

So what is the big deal with Glyphosate?   It lowers yield in the food supply, it increases weeds’ immunities and it most likely causes cancer, skeletal disturbances in fetuses, and it attacks the enzyme household in brain, liver and hearts of fetuses if the mother is exposed to high levels.

European governmental officials volunteered for a test checking the level of exposure in their urine.  The level turned out to be several hundreds of percentage higher than the legal limit.  Andrew Kniss wrote an excellent article for weedcontrolfreaks that shows in-depth research in on place.  Article  Glyphosate turns out to be a bid deal.

 

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