Community | November 17, 2009 | 8 comments

Biotech crops cause big increase in pesticide use-report

source: http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSN1752655520091117

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JanforGore
And just how much of it is in your stomach? These companies don't care. The only thing they care about is hearing cha ching.
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8 comments // Biotech crops cause big increase in pesticide use-report

  • futuregen
    • 0
      futuregen  
    • Image

    • Aaron Schock has got to go. Pro nuclear, pro-coal, pro GMO's and pro-chemicals. (Also pro military). Backed by big bucks. He may be young but he's not even slightly progressive. Filling in for Ray LaHood and getting the job done for all the polluters and destroyers of this planet. He is their puppet. Mother Earth needs to step in and stop this idiot.

      http://schock.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=154711

      The article is worded tricky. He has introduced H.R. 3915 to suspend the tariff on the import of phenyl carbamate, a key ingredient in the production of herbicides.

      “We are grateful to Congressman Schock for introducing this legislation which supports our dedicated employees who work at the DuPont El Paso site,” said Steve J. Patron, Plant Manager at the El Paso DuPont Plant. “The importation of this chemical helps workers in El Paso and farmers throughout Illinois. Tariff reductions achieved through the duty suspension process represent key bottom-line solutions to help the manufacturing sector manage through uncertain economic times, and we are most appreciative of all the work on this issue by Congressman Schock.”

    • 2 years ago
  • pjacobs51
    • 0
      pjacobs51  

    • They hear "cha ching" then the healthcare industry hears even more "cha ching."

      It's a vicious circle of "cha ching" and we are caught in the middle, dying.

    • 2 years ago
  • zphoenixdownz
  • JanforGore
  • SeaJade
  • JanforGore
  • JanforGore
    • 0
      JanforGore  

    • Excerpt:
      The rapid adoption by U.S. farmers of genetically engineered corn, soybeans and cotton has promoted increased use of pesticides, an epidemic of herbicide-resistant weeds and more chemical residues in foods, according to a report issued Tuesday by health and environmental protection groups.

      The groups said research showed that herbicide use grew by 383 million pounds from 1996 to 2008, with 46 percent of the total increase occurring in 2007 and 2008.

      The report was released by nonprofits The Organic Center (TOC), the Union for Concerned Scientists (UCS) and the Center for Food Safety (CFS).

      The groups said that while herbicide use has climbed, insecticide use has dropped because of biotech crops. They said adoption of genetically engineered corn and cotton that carry traits resistant to insects has led to a reduction in insecticide use by 64 million pounds since 1996.

      Still, that leaves a net overall increase on U.S. farm fields of 318 million pounds of pesticides, which includes insecticides and herbicides, over the first 13 years of commercial use.

      The rise in herbicide use comes as U.S. farmers increasingly adopt corn, soy and cotton that have been engineered with traits that allow them to tolerate dousings of weed killer. The most popular of these are known as "Roundup Ready" for their ability to sustain treatments with Roundup herbicide and are developed and marketed by world seed industry leader Monsanto Co (MON.N).

      Monsanto rolled out the first biotech crop, Roundup Ready soybeans, in 1996.

      Monsanto officials declined to comment on the report. But the Biotechnology Industry Organization, of which Monsanto is a member, said the popularity of herbicide-resistant crops showed their value outweighs any associated detriments.
      _________

      Read that last sentence again. The "value" of these crops outweighs you getting cancer from the pesticides sprayed on them. Heartless bastards.

    • 2 years ago
  • CarolineS
    • 0
      CarolineS  

    • This is further proof that we all should be given the capability to grow our own food, or at least have everything we eat grown within a mile radius, and not by companies, but by the hard work of ourselves and our neighbours, if we were too do this, then you wouldnt have people with terrible diets, or poor people eating beans on toast everyday, if this was done we would have less of a burden on the NHS with cancers etc and we would have a healthy nation, but then again, what good would a healthy informed nation be to the government?

    • 2 years ago
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