Here at DLFN we’ve had multiple articles on the reasons Monsanto’s herbicide RoundUp should not be used on crops and why Monsanto’s RoundUp Ready GMO crops that tolerate larger amounts of Roundup should not be consumed. Now Monsanto’s rival Dow Chemical has come up with its own GMO corn that tolerates large amounts of their herbicide 2,4-D, an ingredient in Agent Orange.

In case you weren’t around during the Vietnam War, you should know that 20,000,000 gallons of Agent Orange were used by the US to defoliate the rainforest in parts of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia during that war—to eliminate the hiding places of those defending their country. The result was large numbers of people killed, large amounts of disease, large numbers of birth defects.

Forty years later researchers have not come up with conclusive evidence that 2,4-D used on crops is harmful to humans. But tests on humans are very hard to do because we don’t clone humans or keep them in cages to eliminate all the variables. Cancer, birth defects, reproductive problems, and autoimmune diseases probably have multiple causes, and exposure to pesticides, powerful chemicals designed to kill living things, is sure to be one of them.

Today 2,4-D, shorthand for 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, is widely use throughout the world as a weed killer that attacks broadleaf plants but not members of the grass family—the family that includes corn, wheat, rice, oats, and other grains. Since grains are the major food source for people worldwide, the chemical companies claim that use of RoundUp and 2,4-D (sold under such trade names as Weed B Gon, Killex, and Weedaway) are necessary for feeding the world. Farmers in India who committed suicide because they couldn’t afford the high cost of American-style seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers they were told would increase crop production would have disagreed.

The 2,4-D GMO corn has not yet been approved by the US Department of Agriculture. A group called Just Label It! is promoting the labeling of all GMO food sold in the US. The group encourages consumers to send their views to USDA now. Their website makes it easy.

Genetically modified organisms, GMOs, have been in the news a lot lately, and for good reason. Organic farmers object to the growing of GMO corn, soybeans, and alfalfa near their fields because of possible contamination of their crops and seed. Monsanto, a chemical company that produces GMO seeds, has been known to sue farmers for patent violations if such seeds find their way to an organic farm or if seeds are saved for the next planting. Here’s more from Michael Pollan.

A 2001 US Supreme Court decision allowed for the first time patents on living things. It was a decision with far-reaching effects on our food supply, our health, and on nature in general. Justice Clarence Thomas, a former Monsanto attorney, wrote the majority opinion, which says, “newly developed plant breeds are patentable under the general utility patent laws of the United States.” And the company that owns the patent also owns the seeds. So patented GMO seeds are the property of Monsanto, even after they are sold to the farmer.

One of the features of Monsanto GMO seeds is that the plants they produce are “Roundup Ready.” That means they will tolerate a large amount of Roundup, the weed killer related to Agent Orange. Monsanto has sold Roundup worldwide by claiming that it breaks down in the environment and becomes harmless. Not true, according to investigators. The rate of breakdown is extremely variable depending on soils, microbial action, temperature, etc. Roundup is now found in groundwater, the air, even rainwater.

In the US 86% of corn, 93% of soybeans, and 95% of sugar beets are genetically modified. GMO alfalfa, grazed by and fed to dairy cows and beef cattle, was approved by the USDA in 2011 with no buffer zone requirements to protect neighboring farms. And these four crops are major sources of our food. Soy is consumed as soy cheese and soy milk, soy hot dogs, veggie burgers, soy oil, tofu, natto, tempeh, and, in the form of lecithin, as an emulsifier in foods. Corn is a primary ingredient in chips, Doritos, tostados, taco shells, corn oil, and breakfast cereals, and high fructose corn syrup is used in baked goods, ice cream, candy, and pop. Corn is a primary feed of chickens, pigs and cows. The US, under pressure from Big Ag, does not require GMO labeling of human food or animal feed as does the European Union.

While organic farmers are taking action, consumers also have concerns. Dr. Mercola has extensive information on his website. Of particular interest is his interview with Dr. Don Huber, professor emeritus of plant pathology at Purdue University. Dr. Huber states that Roundup Ready plants produce food that is less nutritious and contains traces of the weed killer, which kills beneficial microbes in the human digestive system. The active ingredient in Roundup is glyphosate, which kills weeds and also the microbes in healthy soil. It is an endocrine disruptor and is believed to cause reproductive failure in livestock and in humans.

Because Dr. Huber has been so vocal, not only about his own research but also the control that Big Ag has over research funding, he has been targeted by Monsanto, but he’s not giving up. “GMOs” he says, “are like a virus. They don’t kill right away, but they do over time.”

Meanwhile, 828 scientists from around the world have signed an open letter warning of the dangers of GMOs. You can read it here:

Invisible packaging is something I just learned about from Dr. Mercola. Fresh produce, both organic and non organic, is sometimes sprayed with an edible transparent plastic-like substance to prolong its shelf life. I’ve not found anything suspect on local supermarket produce and wonder if anyone else has.

The FDA confirms the use of ‘modified atmospheric packaging.’ The MAP coating prevents oxidation, so the ripening and decay processes are slowed. Lettuce is a prime candidate.

You can see the videos and read the whole story on Dr. M’s website.

This is yet another reason for buying local from small farmers we trust. No local lettuce this time of year, but local cabbage is sometimes available from Black Hills Milk.

Monsanto’s genetically-modified (GM) sweet corn has been approved for planting and sale in 2012. Although there is already a lot of GM corn in processed foods, this is the first Monsanto product that will arrive directly from the field to the consumer’s plate. Given the fact that the safety of GM foods has yet to be proven, this is a scary thought. In essence, Monsanto is being allowed to conduct a large-scale scientific experiment and WE are the guinea pigs!

The organization known as Food & Water Watch has begun a campaign to obtain 1000,000 signatures by April 1st urging Walmart to not sell GM sweet corn. It is easy to understand why Walmart is the target of this campaign given their tremendous buying power and influence. They have also been labeling themselves as a “green” company and are promoting local foods in their stores. This is their opportunity to show us their commitment to being green by joining others such as Trader Joe’s, General Mills and Whole Foods, in boycotting GM sweet corn.

To read more, click here.

To take action, click here.

The following new video by the creator of Food, Inc. highlights the movement to label genetically engineered food (GMO’s) in the United States.

More than 50 countries from around the world (including Russia and China!) require labeling of GMO’s. Whether for health, religious, or environmental reasons, American consumers overwhelmingly agree.  Polls from Reuters, ABC News, MSNBC, Consumers Union and the Washington Post indicate more than 90% of Americans think GMO’s should be labeled. The FDA has resisted and argue that GMO’s do not taste, look or smell differently from conventially-produced foods. They are also concerned that labeling would create a negative impression of GMO’s.

The situation is not without some hope. The website justlabelit.org has a great list of eight things you can do now, including signing the petition to the FDA to require labeling of GMO’s. The truth is that regardless of whether GMO’s are harmful, we have a right to know how our food is produced!