GLYPHOSATE: soil, animals, humans
This experiment gave the squirrels a vote. Two ears of corn were set out to see which a wild animal would prefer: a genetically modified ear raised with glyphosate, or an organic. The one without glyphosate was the winner. But humans are not as free to choose, since genetically modified corn is grown with glyphosate – and feedlot beef are fattened on GMO corn.
The World Health Organization announced in 2015 that the herbicide glyphosate is a "probable human carcinogen and some scientists have explained why glyphosate may be the most biologically disruptive chemical in our environment.
Monsanto brought glyphosate to the market in 1974 under the trade name Roundup, which was developed to kill weeds that compete with commercial crops.
Roundup is used worldwide with plants that have been genetically modified to resist glyphosate; Roundup kills a broad spectrum of weeds but allows the commercial crop to grow. Over 85% of the 97 million acres of corn planted in this country annually are “Roundup Ready”—that is, genetically modified to resist the effects glyphosate. And most of the beef in stores today comes from cows that were “finished” (fattened) on Roundup Ready corn.
In fact it’s hard to leave the grocery store without glyphosate in the cart. It’s in the meat case because cows have eaten the corn. And because corn syrup and food additives are generally made from conventionally raised corn, glyphosate is also in many processed foods. Glyphosate residues are found in the main foods of the Western diet, including sugar, corn, soy and wheat. Significantly higher residues of glyphosate have been found in people with disease than in healthy people. Consumers are trying to pass labeling laws to get these facts stated on packages of food.
Many of the health problems that appear to be associated with a Western diet may be explained by biological disruptions that have already been attributed to glyphosate, including digestive issues, obesity, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, Parkinson’s disease, liver diseases, and cancer, among others. (See chart on autism below.)
The only way today to be 100% sure that you have no exposure to glyphosate is to eat foods that are 100% free of glyphosate and other herbicides.
This chart prepared by Stephanie Seneff, Ph.D, a research scientist at MIT, shows the relationship between the increasing use of glyphosate with corn and soy and the incidence of autism. While this data does not prove that glyphosate causes autism, the correlation over time between the tons of glyphosate applied and the incidence of autism is compelling.