Farming And Pesticides

Roundup’s active ingredient, Glyphosate, is the most popular pesticide in the United States, partially because of the persistent rumor that it is benign. Roundup is relatively safe – it’s not as bad as, say, depleted uranium – but that doesn’t mean you want to go pouring it on your pancakes. Roundup was found on lettuce five months after it was applied. Not the most healthful salad dressing – although it may be fat-free. A recent study conducted by the U.S. Environmental Agency exposed some interesting information regarding its toxicity. 1. Roundup is manufactured by Monsanto, a company responsible for transforming the face of agriculture through genetically engineered seed. Monsanto, which is become something of a poster child for coldhearted corporate evil, developed and patented seeds resistant to Roundup so that farmers could apply the herbicide to their fields with no fear of killing mature crops. The majority of soybeans grown worldwide are now genetically modified, despite a poor understanding of the possible long-term implications. Genetic drift is putting organic farmers out of business, traditional seed stocks are dying out, and meanwhile Roundup sales have risen and Monsanto is suing farmers for patent infringement – including farmers who never bought the “Round-up Ready” seeds but whose fields were infected through pollen drift.