Category Archives: farming

The Dangers Of Glyphosate

What is Glyphosate?

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup, popular weedkiller, currently used in yards, parks, and farms all over the world. Controversy has long reigned over the use of this highly effective herbicide, due to its potentially dangerous effects on health and on the natural environment. Many highly respected researchers, including Dr. Stephanie Seneff at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, have been looking into the effects of glyphosate for many years. As a result of all of this research, there is now a considerable body of evidence against its use in gardening and agriculture.

In agriculture, we have seen a sharp rise in the amount of genetically modified crops, created to be resistant to Roundup, i.e., glyphosate. By modifying the crops, so the thinking went, farmers could spray Roundup on the crops with abandon. Although we have seen an increasing amount of genetically modified crops, we also now have a number of glyphosate-resistant weeds. This, quite obviously, defeats the purpose of spraying crops with herbicide.

Not Just For Weeds

In addition to its uses as a weed killer, glyphosate is also being sprayed on a variety of crops to dry them out before harvesting. Currently, it's being used on a wide variety of crops including:

buckwheat
corn
flax
lentils
millet
non-GMO soybeans
oats
potatoes
rye
sugar beets
wheat

This widespread usage is causing more glyphosate to appear in the food supply. Even at levels above EPA guidelines, which have been already been found by experts to be too high. This excessive exposure only adds to the overall body burden and increases the damage to the environment and to our health.

Health Risks

For many people, the biggest concern around glyphosate is its potential effects on human health. The health risks could be wide-ranging. Scientists have suggested links between the use of glyphosate and conditions including auto-immune diseases, autism, and problems with the body's natural microbiome. Some studies even suggest that it could contribute to a range of common cancers, including breast cancer and certain types of leukemia.

The Microbiome

In 2013, a study by Dr. Stephanie Seneff and Dr. Anthony Samsel showed that glyphosate inhibits the activity of cytochrome P450, which is an important human enzyme. By interfering with this enzyme, it increases the damaging effects of other dangerous chemicals, reduces the body's resilience to toxins, and contributes to inflammation. The results of these effects include gastrointestinal disorders which are associated with disturbances in the gut microbiome.

Gout

In another study, Dr. Stephanie Seneff and her colleagues argue that glyphosate-induced changes to the microbiome contribute to the epidemic of gout that is present in the developed world today. Like many gastrointestinal diseases, gout is a condition that is characterized by inflammation. Seneff's findings suggest that traces of glyphosate in the diet could be the primary factor in the recent dramatic rise in gout cases in the United Kingdom.

Cancer

In another study, Dr. Anthony Samsel and Dr. Stephanie Seneff found correlations between the use of glyphosate on crops and a rise in the number of cases of a range of common cancers, including breast cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, thyroid cancer, bladder cancer, liver cancer, and myeloid leukemia. These findings reflect the World Health Organization's labeling of glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic.” Some proponents of glyphosate argue that the amounts that are used on food crops are not large enough to cause cancer in humans, but it is difficult to precisely control the size of the dose of glyphosate that any particular individual receives from their diet.

Effects on the Natural Environment

In addition to its potentially harmful effects on human health, glyphosate also poses dangers for the environment. Monsanto, the manufacturer of Roundup, recommends that people do not use the product close to fresh water because of its harmful effects on amphibians and other wildlife. However, it is not clear whether farmers and gardeners follow this recommendation. Even if they do make an effort to keep glyphosate away from sources of fresh water, rainwater, runoff can carry the product into streams and rivers, where it can wreak havoc on the health of fish and amphibians such as frogs. Furthremore, even if glyphosate does not directly kill fish and other wildlife, it can kill plants that these animals depend on for survival, causing ecological devastation that extends all the way up the food chain.

Depleting Nutrients From Soil

According to the National Pesticide Information Center, glyphosate binds tightly to particles of soil and can persist in the ground for up to six months after it is applied. Bacteria will gradually break it down, but many experts argue that the effect on the soil is long lasting. Healthy soil contains a range of minerals that plants need to grow, including magnesium, nitrogen, and phosphorous. Glyphosate can affect the concentrations of these nutrients in the soil, which could affect the ability of plants, including food crops, to grow and produce healthy fruits, vegetables, and seeds.

Friend or Foe?

Many gardeners and farmers rely on glyphosate because it is very good at killing unwanted plants and weeds. However, the dangers of glyphosate mean that its ability to get rid of weeds might not be worth the potential damage to our health and the environment. In particular, concerns over the damaging health effects of dietary glyphosate, as highlighted in the research of Dr. Stephanie Seneff, should give us pause before using glyphosate or purchasing foods that have been grown using this dangerous herbicide. The effects of glyphosate on the natural environment also should also not be ignored, as it could have potentially devastating effects on natural freshwater ecosystems.

Antibiotic Weedkiller

by Mirabig-ag, environment, farming

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.

* * * * *

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

Farmer’s Market Finds

by Mirafarming

I love farmer's markets. It's always wonderful to go and see all of the different vendors offering their products. To chat with them and learn more about what they do and their vision of real food/real products that they create to share with those who appreciate it.

This past weekend I went to a local farmer's market with a couple of friends. It was held at a local brewery and had an eclectic gathering of vendors. I wanted to share a few that I had the opportunity to visit with.

Patrick from Katera Exotics shared about their pasture raised Texas bison. He says they “love them, raise them well, and then we eat them.” They have two locations, one near San Antonio and one in Katy. I purchased a sirloin and made it for dinner that night. It was absolutely delicious! Raised without hormones or antibiotics on grassland, this is sirloin the way it's mean to be.

There was a salsa vendor, Shane and Nina of the Salinas Salsa Co. I confess that I only tried their mild salsa. It was fabulous but way too hot for this Yankee girl. I muscled down the rest of the sample because it was so delicious and Shane told me that they are working on a “really mild” version for folks like me that have trouble with the Texas heat.

My Texas friends, however, informed me that the mild was, indeed, mild. Whoo boy!

An unexpected and delightful stop was my chat with Jason of Leadbelly Elevator. He's a perfumer, essential oil product maker, and permaculturist. We had a fabulous conversation about growing real food, chemical free products, and his commitment to making great products that smell good and are good for you.

Next up was the amazing variety of Texas Hill Country Olive Oils. I know, hard to believe, but there are parts of Texas that are the right appellation to grow amazing olive oils. Demetria was happy to sample out her products. She also had some balsamic vinegars that won rave reviews from my friends.

Last, but certainly not least, was the barbecue sauce from The Sauce Factory and my visit with Darrel and Gerald.

At first I wasn't going to buy any but I tried their sugar free (sweetened with stevia) bbq sauce. It was great so I bought a bottle. Then I was tempted by their mustard bbq sauce, tried it and was hooked. So I bought two bottles. I refrained from trying their other varieties for fear that I might come home with five bottles of sauce, but this stuff is good.

Afterwards my foodie friends and I ran down the street to the raw dairy where I bought some butter and got to say hello to these adorable calves and goats.

Farmer's markets are a great way to connect with the people that make your food. They're also a wonderful way to get real food. Support your health and your local farmers, you'll be glad you did.

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

Organic Versus Conventional

by Mirafarming, gmo, organicnews debunk, organic

There has been much debate about the health benefits of organic food compared to conventional. The issue has become even more pressing in view of rising grocery costs. Many people wonder if organic is actually worth the higher price; let’s look a little deeper at this.

Nutritional content

The nutrient profile of any food has many variables which can vary from farm to farm and from year to year. The climate, cultivar, crop rotation, date of planting, date of harvesting, growing location, irrigation, and even the soil type will all affect the nutritional content of the crop whether it is grown by organic or conventional methods. Let’s look at several areas where conventional and organic can vary.

The first area in question is the nutritional content. There have been mixed results on whether there is a difference. A review done in 2010 found that organic varieties can have greater levels of vitamin C, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus compared to non-organic varieties of the same foods. Other studies have shown little to no difference.

Organic produce appears to be higher in antioxidants, particularly polyphenols. However antioxidant value may not be considered as part of the overall nutritional value in many studies. There are a growing number of studies which show that antioxidant value is highly beneficial for the body, especially when it comes to a wide number of diseases and health conditions.

The chemical difference

Many studies concentrate on the nutritional difference between organic and conventional produce, but what may be of more importance is what is NOT involved with organic farming. A large part of the reason people purchase organic food is because they don't want the chemicals that come along with conventional farming methods.

Each year The Environmental Working Group provides a list called the Dirty Dozen. The list is usually produced in March as it takes several months for the EWG to go through the data to determine which are the top twelve foods highly contaminated by pesticides.

Obviously, you don’t want to ingest these chemicals, but it goes deeper than that. It’s not just what you eat, it’s how it affects the soil, the plants, and the environment. When these chemicals are used the environment also suffers. Saturating the soil with pesticides, fungicides, chemical fertilizers and such is not healthy for the earth.

We also need to think about farm workers. According to Toxic Free NC “Agricultural families are at very high risk for exposure to pesticides. Workers can inadvertently take toxic pesticide residues home on contaminated clothes, hair, and skin. Because most workers also live very close to the fields, they are also subject to pesticide drift at home. Once in the home, pesticide residues are very easily picked up by small children, who are especially sensitive to health damage from pesticide exposure. Subjecting workers to hazardous pesticide exposure on the job puts both the workers and their families at risk for serious health consequences.”

One way to avoid these chemicals is to purchase organic. This is because the organic standard does not allow for the use of pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides among other chemicals.

Genetic modification

Another important part of the organic standard is that food cannot be a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO). Lately this term has been discarded in favor of Bioengineered (BE). According to the USDA, the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (NBFDS) defines BE as follows: “The Standard defines bioengineered foods as those that contain detectable genetic material that has been modified through certain lab techniques and cannot be created through conventional breeding or found in nature.”

By this definition everything that is BE falls into the GMO category. However not everything that is GMO is BE. And while BE items are required to be identified, labeling is not required for all GMO products. Since the only way to ensure that something is not GMO is to purchase organic, the distinction between conventional and organic becomes an important one. Read this article by the Institute for Food and Development Policy to learn more about some of the concerns about GMO food.

Organic farming

Organic farming practices require more humane treatment of animals that are raised for food. You can read an article I wrote about organic milk. Humane treatment of animals should be part of our consciousness. Aren't we evolved enough to not want these animals to live in discomfort before they provide for us?

Meat and dairy products from organically raised animals often do have significant nutritional differences. With organic practices, animals are not allowed to be given added hormones, antibiotics, and be fed genetically modified or pesticide laden foods. The antibiotic issue is an important one for animal products. By eating continual low-level antibiotics, it is bad for our overall health and can encourage bacteria to become antibiotic resistant.

Eating organic animal food products has many health benefits. Organic dairy products are measurably higher in protein and beneficial fatty acids. Eggs have a better fatty acid profile. Studies show that organic meat is lower in fat and has a better overall fatty acid profile making it a healthier choice for consumption than conventionally raised animals and animal products.

In conclusion

Ultimately, the choice of what to eat and how to spend your grocery dollars is up to you. But before you make those choices make sure you evaluate all aspects of the organic versus conventional food debate.

My choices are based on more than just the nutrients in the food. It's about the choice for no sewage in the fields, no chemicals, more humane treatment of animals, what I believe is better tasting food, and especially my desire to limit my exposure to GMO food.