Just when you think the news about GMO crops couldn’t be worse, the biotechnology industry has ratcheted up things a notch. Dow Chemical is seeking approval from the USDA for a new GM variety of corn and soybeans that can withstand multiple doses of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), a chemical that makes up half the cocktail of the infamous Agent Orange (AO).
The chemical corporation, now called Dow AgroSciences, is the manufacturer of AO, a warfare herbicide that destroyed forests and farmland in Vietnam, as well as wreaked havoc on the health of many people who came in contact with it. Harm inflicted by this herbicide on the land was permanent, and its horrific effects on health are manifested today in many Vietnamese people who are afflicted with a host of disorders, including blindness, deafness, deformities and mental illness.
The Vicious Cycle of the Need for Stronger, More Noxious Herbicides
Why has Dow bioengineered the new GM crop that can withstand being sprayed with 2,4-D? Unbelievably, it is the proposed “solution” to the problem of herbicide-resistant weeds that have appeared largely as a result of Monsanto’s “RoundUp Ready” crops. Since weeds have developed resistance to other herbicides, Dow has proposed spraying more harmful chemicals on crops grown for food and has engineered the crops so that they won’t be killed by the poison.
Will 2,4-D-resistant crops help the herbicide-resistant weed problem? They will in the short run, but in the long run they will make the situation worse. According to Food and Water Watch (FWW), the use of 2,4-D leads to weed resistance. The organization predicts that it is only a matter of time before herbicides that are even more noxious are needed to address the weed problem the new GM crops will generate. In other words, the resistant weed dilemma that requires stronger, more noxious herbicides will become a vicious circle with no end in sight.
Harmful Effects of 2,4-D
Would you want crops grown with 2,4-D on your dinner table? FWW reports that a metabolite of this herbicide causes liver damage, skin sores and sometimes death in animals. Other harmful effects listed include hormone disruption along with the hindrance of normal growth, development and neural function. In addition, tests show 2,4-D is contaminated with dioxins, chemicals that many consider the most toxic substances known to science.
The Center for Food Safety is asking the public to sign a petition urging the USDA to refuse approval of these crops. Harmful health effects of 2,4-D listed in the petition include cancer, reproductive problems, Parkinson’s disease and endocrine disruption.
The Frankenstinian Effect
Live in the Now sought out the input of noted nutrition expert, Dr. Michael Wald, author of Frandenfoods – GMO Controversy, Lies and Your Health. He characterizes the vicious cycle that has spurred Dow to make 2,4-D-resistant crops as the Frankenstinian effect. He also aptly compares this phenomenon to the bacterial resistance produced by antibiotics. Here is his explanation.
“It is no surprise to me, and in fact, it is quite predictable that RoundUp Ready crops would become resistant to herbicides. Herbicide resistance is akin to the antibiotic resistance that has been caused by incorrectly and even correctly prescribed antibiotics by doctors for infections. Just as the use of antibiotics has produced superbugs that are resistant to drugs, so also the use of herbicides has produced weeds that are resistant to weed killers.”
“The result is all quite Frankenstinian in the sense that the GMO experiment has now caused herbicide resistance of weeds in both soybeans and corn. I predict that the development of new corn and soy crops that are resistant to 2,4-D will eventually create further herbicide resistance, which will necessitate the development of differently resistant crops. Unfortunately, the unanticipated health effects to humans as well as other creatures are inescapable and very detrimental.”
Sources:
https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food/genetically-engineered-foods/24-d-corn/
http://www.healthyaeon.com/2014/02/dow-chemical-seeks-approval-for-gm.html#.UyiMWcJOUW5
Mary West is a natural health enthusiast, as she believes this area can profoundly enhance wellness. She is the creator of a natural healing website where she focuses on solutions to health problems that work without side effects. You can visit her site and learn more at http://www.alternativemedicinetruth.com. Ms. West is also the author of Fight Cancer Through Powerful Natural Strategies.