URGENT: March 11 Deadline for Comments: This is our last chance to stop the U.S. approval of “Agent Orange” crops. Act now.
You know that nasty chemical we heard about from the Vietnam War — Agent Orange? The one that caused so many health problems and birth defects?
If Dow has its way, one of the harsh chemicals in Agent Orange will be sprayed in massive amounts all over the U.S. and on crops bound for Europe.
Dow, a chemical and biotech competitor to Monsanto, has genetically engineered corn and soybeans so that the plants can withstand the application of the chemical 2,4-D, half of the notorious Agent Orange chemical cocktail.
Unfortunately, this nasty chemical is already being used in industrial agriculture, despite its proven detriment to health and the environment. Studies show that 2,4-D messes with your hormones, damages your nervous system, lowers your immunity to illnesses and causes reproductive problems. If these GMO corn and soy crops are approved, more and more agriculture operations in the U.S. will use 2,4-D. This will cause up to a 25-fold increase in the amount sprayed on fields, increasing our exposure and creating more pollution that harms people and animals.
The EU imports many GMO crops from the U.S. for animal feed, so these crops could end up in our food system, too. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) must recognize the health and environmental impacts associated with “Agent Orange” corn and soy.
Because so much of the corn and soybeans that is currently being grown has been genetically modified to withstand Monsanto’s Roundup, many weeds have become resistant to Roundup. So now farmers have to spray 2,4-D, an even more toxic chemical, to kill resistant weeds. This is Dow’s solution: genetically engineer crops so they can withstand even more harsh chemicals that kill weeds but not the plant. If this chemical is so harsh that it can kill plants, what effect will it have on the animals that we use for food? “Agent Orange” corn and soy are making their way through the approval process in the U.S., and this is the last chance the public has to submit comments to the USDA. We need to submit more comments than ever before to stop these crops from unleashing a new toxic assault on our communities and the environment.
Tell the USDA not to approve these new GMO corn and soy crops!