Article By Jenny Thompson, HSI
Dear Reader,
You may have heard me once or twice (possibly) mention that just maybe the FDA kowtows just a tad to Big Pharma. But now the guys at the FDA look like complete amateurs compared to the pros at the USDA.
USDA officials recently decided to do something so completely and brazenly pro-giant-corporation and anti-organic-farmer, that it's almost like they're taunting us.
If you know anything about the USDA, you know that anytime they bend over backwards to accommodate the needs of a large corporation, it will almost always involve the biotech giant Monsanto -- the corporate powerhouse that is to agriculture what The Real Housewives of New Jersey are to decorum and good taste.
If you're unfamiliar with how Monsanto does business, let me give you an example that illustrates what passes for integrity in their dirty little billionaires club. Monsanto owns patents on several types of GM seeds known as Roundup Ready. These seeds grow crops (corn, sugar beets, alfalfa, etc.) that holdup to constant drenching with the weed killer Roundup, which happens to be made by -- let's see if you can guess. Ding, ding, ding...you guessed right -- it's Monsanto.
But if Monsanto's specially modified seeds should drift into a neighboring field, patent law allows the company to sue the owner of that field. And that's exactly what Monsanto has done on several occasions.
So if you've got an organic farm and their GM seeds cross-pollinate and contaminate YOUR crops, Monsanto can sue you (as if you somehow stole the contamination from them).
What words come to mind here? Predatory weasels? Malignant bottom-feeders? Merciless cut-throats? All of the above?
And the USDA? They're like Monsanto's little doofus sidekick, with just enough power to be dangerous.
To really get a handle on this new USDA/Monsanto idiot outrage, we need to jump back for a moment to 2005. That was the year the USDA approved Monsanto's Roundup Ready GM sugar beet seeds without an environmental impact study giving them a free pass to money.
In 2009, a federal judge realized the problems with the approval process and ruled that it was illegal. No kidding -- this only took FOUR YEARS! Then last year, the same judge upheld his ruling and found the USDA to be in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act.
Okay, then! Finally, it was time to subject those GM seeds to a rigorous safety study! So the USDA got tough, and the study got underway. But then, like easily distracted children, the agency got tired of playing that game.
In February of this year, USDA officials announced that farmers could go ahead and plant the Monsanto GM sugar beet seeds before the impact study was completed. The reasoning: The agency was concerned that the ban would prompt a rise in sweetener prices.
Unbelievable! And yet, all too believable. Only in the U.S. regulatory system would market prices be considered more important than environmental and consumer safety.
But wait -- THAT'S not the extent of the outrage...
Just a few weeks ago, the USDA finally came up with a plan that at least made it SEEM like they were giving in to the demands of the federal judge.
They announced a two-year "pilot project" for environmental impact studies...with just one little wrinkle...
USDA officials seem to think it will be a really efficient idea to allow what they call "industry" (in other words, "Monsanto") to conduct THEIR OWN environmental impact studies to assess the safety of THEIR OWN genetically modified crop seeds.
It's like the agency is giving Monsanto the keys to USDA headquarters and saying, "Why don't you guys go ahead and regulate yourselves? And, as always, let us know if we can be of any help whatsoever!"
Meanwhile, for a glimpse at a genuine environmental disaster, see the information below to get an idea of how truly destructive the indiscriminate use of Roundup weed killer can be.
What do you get when you use the perfect weed killer? Killer Weeds!
Imagine how much easier your summer would be if you could just spray your entire garden with Roundup every week. Even better: if the spraying would kill all the weeds, but somehow not kill your fruits and vegetables.
Now imagine how much easier farming would be if you could do the same thing.
That’s exactly how agriculture was revolutionized just a few years ago when the agribusiness giant Monsanto first introduced Roundup Ready–genetically modified crops designed to withstand repeated Roundup drenchings.
Just a little more than a decade later, about 90 percent of all soy grown in the U.S. comes from genetically modified Roundup Ready crops. (You can use that fun fact the next time someone suggests that soy is healthy for you.)
In addition to soy, about 70 percent of the U.S. corn and cotton crops are also Roundup Ready. It could be years before we know what health repercussions we might face with the widespread consumption of these GM crops. But here’s what we know right now: Roundup Ready has backfired.
Pig in the garden
Nature always finds a way. And that includes weeds, which have a way of becoming superweeds when challenged by highly toxic herbicides. For example, pigweed is one of several Roundup-resistant superweeds that now infest millions of acres in more than 20 states.
According to a New York Times report, pigweed can grow as much as three inches in a day, and can reach a height taller than the average man. Once established, it’s seriously stubborn. The weed is said to be so sturdy that it has actually damaged harvesting equipment!
Just two years ago, one weed specialist called an area of central Arkansas a “pigweed-infested hell.” That should have come as no surprise to anyone. According to Farm Press, weed scientists predicted Roundup Ready resistant superweeds years ago. But the lure of easy weed control and boosted profits was just too tempting.
The result: U.S. soybean, corn, and cotton crops are in serious danger. One expert told the Times, “It is the single largest threat to production agriculture that we have ever seen.”
Yeah…I’d say that’s pretty serious!
Meanwhile, desperate farmers are doing what they have to do to kill off the superweeds–they’re employing more workers to hack away at the intruders, while also using some very toxic herbicides. And as you might suspect, higher operating costs combined with lower crop yields will drive up food prices.
Looks like this might be the perfect year to start a backyard garden–weeded by hand, of course.
My Comment:
The USDA and FDA have become an empty shell of their original intended purpose of protecting the citizens of the United States. Greed, power and profits now control their actions as is clearly evident in the GMO catastrophy that is unfolding in front of us. The recent movement by the public and many small farmers to return to natural farming practices in an effort to avoid the use of toxic chemicals in our food stream is being hampered by the constant irrational actions of the regulatory agencies who's sole responsibility it is to protect us.
The more we learn and are aware of the facts, the better chance we stand to make a difference and help guide our country in the right direction. It is important that you discuss this issue with others and educate people so they can make better choices in the future. With some encouragement from the public maybe some action will be taken to improve our regulatory agencies in the near future. A good house cleaning would be a good start.
Until next time, stay healthy and happy
JD Roma
The information on this blog is provided for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical care, and medical advice and services are not being offered. If you have, or suspect you have, a health problem you should consult your physician (preferably a Naturopath).
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