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Monsanto and the Roundup Ready Controversy

2,219 bytes added, 18:54, 6 November 2009
SW: adding info
In another report by the Center ''[http://www.organic-center.org/reportfiles/Pesticide_SSR_2008.pdf Simplifying the Pesticide Risk Equation: The Organic Option]'', which quantifies and compares the exposures to hazardous pesticide residues on conventional vs organic produce, Dr. Charles Benbrook states that "recent USDA pesticide residue and food consumption surveys show that most people consume three to four residues daily just through [conventionally grown] fruits and vegetables. 'Accounting for residues in conventional milk, tap water and other foods, the average American exposes him or herself to ten to 13 pesticide residues daily'" [http://www.organic-center.org/reportfiles/Pesticide_SSR_Press_Release_FINAL.pdf].
 
Another report by the UK's Pesticides Residues Committee (PRC) found that non-organic fruits and vegetables contained excessive amounts of pesticides. Among other findings, "nearly all the apples (49 out of 52 tested) and every one of the bananas had some form of pesticide in them. Many of the pieces of fruit had more than one pesticide" <ref>Harry Wallop, [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/6227745/Fruit-and-veg-have-unacceptable-levels-of-pesticides.html "Fruit and veg have 'unacceptable' levels of pesticides"], Telegraph.co.uk, Sept 24, 2009.</ref>. For more see the <ref>[http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/uploadedfiles/Web_Assets/PRC/PRC_Annual_Report_2008.pdf "Annual Report of the Pesticide Residues Committee 2008"]</ref>.
Pesticide Action Network has created a searchable database, [http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/index.jsp What's on my food], that one can use to easily find out which pesticides and pesticide residues are used on and remain on everyday fruits, vegetables, milk and meat.
As with other herbicides such as Atrazine, the use of Roundup has been linked to the decimation of frogs worldwide [http://www.umc.pitt.edu:591/m/FMPro?-db=ma&-lay=a&-format=d.html&id=2115&-Find]. This is truly unfortunate as it is estimated that a single frog can consume 10,000 garden/farm pests in a growing season [http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072909498/student_view0/biological_controls.html].
A related issue is news that GM Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) pollen , which Monsanto has engineered to be present in every cell of it's Bt crops , causes harm to non-target insects, e.g. [http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/oct2007/2007-10-11-096.asp harm to caddisflies] [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B7GVS-4HVW8RG-5&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=947920523&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=16ae885be231679388298fa394a8270f harm to swallowtail butterflies] [http://www.eko.org.ee/gmo/images/stories/artiklid%20GMO%20probleemid/another_view_on_bt_proteins_-_hilbeck__schmidt.pdf harm to lacewings] .  In 2001, Pioneer Hi-Bred, another biotechnology firm associated with Monsanto, developed a GM corn variety that contained two Bt toxins, Cry34Ab1 and Cry35Ab1, to kill corn rootworms. "The company asked university laboratories to test for unintended consequences on ladybugs. Scientists fed the corn to ladybugs and found that nearly 100% died after the eighth day in the life cycle. Pioneer forbade the scientists from publicizing the data. A scientist with the group who wants to remain anonymous said 'The company came back and said ‘you are under no circumstances able to publicize this data in any way’. Pioneer submitted data to the EPA showing no harm to ladybugs and received government approval to commercialize the corn in 2003. A Pioneer scientist says the commercialized variety contains a different genetic construct than the corn that killed the ladybugs. The EPA was told about the independently produced data, but did nothing, according to the anonymous scientist. The same scientist also says Pioneer’s data is flawed" <ref>The Organic and Non-GMO Report, [http://www.non-gmoreport.com/articles/nov09/gm_corn_killed_ladybugs.php "Journal article says suppressed study found GM corn killed ladybugs"] 2009</ref>. Read the ''Nature Biotechnology'' article here <ref>Emily Waltz, [http://www.emilywaltz.com/Biotech_crop_research_restrictions_Oct_2009.pdf "Under Wraps"], Nature Biotechnology, volume 27 number 10, October 2009.</ref>
==Unknown and Unintended Effects==
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