New report on dangers of herbicides

A new report by GM Freeze and Greenpeace analyses almost 200 independent and peer-reviewed scientific studies, mostly carried out in the last decade, and demonstrates the danger of herbicides like Roundup. One of the main ingredients of Roundup and several other herbicides is a chemical known as glyphosate. Studies associate exposure to glyphosate with cancer, birth defects and neurological illnesses (including Parkinson’s). Alarmingly, lab testing suggests that glyphosate can cause damage to cells, including human embryo cells, GM Freeze reports. Studies also indicate that glyphosate may be a gender-bender chemical that interferes with  hormonal balance.

Evidence also shows that the chemical has a damaging impact on  rivers and on the animals that live in them. It disrupts nutrients in soil, exposes plants (that are not weeds) to disease and could end up contaminating drinking water. Of particular concern is the association of glyphosate with the cultivation of genetically modified  herbicide-tolerant crops, known as Roundup-Ready. These crops, which so far are mostly grown in the Americas, are genetically engineered to tolerate glyphosate so that they can survive massive spraying of Roundup to eliminate weeds.

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to glyphosate-based herbicides like Roundup. Resistance to glyphosate has now been confirmed in over 20 weed species, with over 100 resistant strains identified, covering nearly 6 million hectares, primarily in Argentina, Brazil and the USA. Controlling these glyphosate-resistant weeds growing amongst GM crops has become a major problem for farmers. This has prompted manufacturers of glyphosate and GM crops like Monsanto to recommend further increases in the deployment and concentration of herbicides - including the use of chemicals that are even more toxic than glyphosate. This escalation in the pesticides ‘arms race’ has put an enormous toxic burden on people’s health and the environment, creating a vicious circle that is producing a new breed of superweeds, according to GM Freeze. More information is available here: GM Freeze