Category Archives: big-ag

Antibiotic Weedkiller

Understanding glyphosate

There's an increasing amount of attention to how harmful glyphosate (the active ingredient in Monsanto's Round Up) is. Roundup is not only used as a weed killer, it's now also being used as a desiccant, to dry crops before harvesting. Currently sprayed on wheat, oats, and beans, Monsanto additionally recommends it for desiccant use on flax, non-GMO canola, Non-GMO soy, peas, lentils, and sugar cane. This increases our exposure to glyphosate dramatically.

Not only are crops grown with genetic modification to allow for large scale use of Roundup as a weed killer, these crops are being dosed with extra applications before harvesting. Non-GMO crops can be exposed to Roundup through wind-borne and insect-borne exposures. Unfortunately, with the use of Roundup as a harvesting agent, now even non-GMO crops may be purposefully sprayed. For some crops this could mean as many as three deliberate exposures to glyphosate.

Impact of glyphosate

Leaving aside the fact that Roundup is not an effective weed killer¹ there are a wide range of issues regarding it's use

large scale harm to the environment²
it adversely affects mineral content of the crops³
increasing evidence that it causes gut health issues and can damage DNA⁴
the World Health Organization has deemed it a probable carcinogen⁵

there's one fact that most people don't realize. First developed as an antibiotic, glyphosate was not as effective as it's developers intended. However they realized that it had potential as an herbicide and a new product was born. Decades later we are dealing with an increasing fallout in terms of exposure, the impact on the environment, and the increase in illnesses linked to glyphosate exposure. Increasing numbers of the population are experiencing issues with gut health, autoimmune system challenges, food allergies and more. Issues that at their root have to do with the very nature of an antibiotic, to kill cells. Yet we continue to bathe our crops, and our planet, in this persistent, endocrine disrupting, harmful product.

A new herbicide

So why do I mention Roundup? Because it's happening again. Scientists in Australia have discovered that the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin (commonly known as Cipro) appears to be an effective herbicide. According to Dr. Josh MyIne from the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Western Australia, “It kills plants in a very similar fashion to the way it kills microbes, by binding and interfering with an enzyme called gyrase.” This may wind up being a case of history repeating itself. Once again we potentially have an antibiotic being used as an herbicide. Doubtless it will come with claims that it will be harmless to humans once it's used for an agricultural purpose. As we are learning from glyphosate. This is not true.

Dangers of Cipro

What makes the use of cipro especially concerning is that it belongs to a particular class of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones. While a potent and effective antibiotic, this class of medication has a high potential for toxic side effects including pain, depression, CFS, thyroid issues, and more. I learned a startling amount of information about how harmful these medications can be from The Anxiety Summit Season 4 where my friend and colleague, Trudy Scott, the Food Mood Expert, spoke at length with fluoroquinolone toxicity patient advocate, Lisa Blomquist.

As yet we have no idea what the potential for harm is from converting antibiotic cipro to an herbicide. But if we take a lesson from the previous example it does not look promising. Unfortunately the potential exists for cipro to be brought to agricultural use without examining any of those issues.

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¹Glyphosate-resistant Weeds: current status and future outlook
² The Environmental Impacts of Glyphosate
³ Damaging Effects of Roundup (and its active ingredient glyphosate)
⁴ Gut-Wrenching: New Studies Reveal the Insidious Effects of Glyphosate
⁵ IARC Monographs Volume 112: evaluation of five organophosphate insecticides and herbicides

Factory Farming And Gmo

by Mirabig-ag, farming, gmo, Uncategorized

Over the years farming has changed dramatically. Shifting from smaller, generational, family farms, that were often handed down and grew a number of different crops to corporate behemoths which grow only one crop, and that is often a commodity crop. Sadly one of the losses suffered from this shift in the agricultural system is that of a connection to our food.

Most people don't know who their farmer is anymore. And there is no accountability for the overuse of chemicals, pesticides, antibiotics, and genetic modification. Corporate farming relies on these chemicals and other additives to increase their profits.

Even more disturbing is the challenges that face those farmers who want to produce organic or sustainable crops. The subsidies currently paid by the government are for commodity crops and tend to favor the large agribusiness corporations. These subsidies also make it more profitable as larger operations that focus on subsidy crops receive more funds. This makes the concept of the family farm more difficult as many small farmers appear to no longer be able to support themselves simply through farming.

It is a sad and startling thought (and I am far from the first person to say this) that organic food production used to be the ONLY form of farming. As chemical fertilizers, pesticides, larger scale operations, and mono-cropping have been developed they have become the norm. There is an unfortunate side effect of this with regard to our health and the health of future generations.

The time has come to educate ourselves about where our food really comes from. And to develop a relationship with those who produce it (to the best of our ability — admittedly this is not always possible in all areas for all types of food). Most of us are fortunate enough to be able to eat multiple meals in one day. Doesn't it make sense to feed ourselves well and support those who grow our food so that we can have the best food possible?

Farm to Fork: Our Toxic Food System infographic

Monsanto And Gmo: Taking Over Your Food

by Mirabig-ag, gmo, government

It appears that the rights of corporation have prevailed over the rights of people. HR 933 was approved and signed by President Obama. Tucked into a spending bill which was supposed to prevent government fiscal shutdown, most of those who voted for the bill were unaware of this “act” which was inserted by Missouri Senator Roy Blunt. With it's passage, the act effectively allows Monsanto the right to do whatever it wants.

In short this bill now gives Monsanto the right to plant Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) even if a federal court has ruled that the organism presents a danger to the environment. In other words, even if crops are clearly determined to be dangerous, they cannot be stopped because Monsanto has been given the authority to do as they wish. This legislation effectively gives Monsanto the right to override the government on this issue. I believe this is a very dangerous state of affairs and one which will have severe consequences.

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