sábado, 18 de febrero de 2017

Round Up the Roundup - GCMLP

Round Up the Roundup - GCMLP

 

Recent studies have uncovered potential toxins and carcinogens within
the active and inactive ingredients of Monsanto’s Roundup® weed-killer.
 Corporate media outlets have intentionally downplayed studies
confirming the risks associated with Roundup to satisfy corporate and
political interests.  The lack of investigative journalism and critical
analysis jeopardizes the health of agriculture producers and consumers
nationwide.


Following an announcement from the World Health Organization (WHO) in March of


2015, major agricultural company Monsanto faced lawsuits regarding
the safety of active and inactive ingredients in Roundup® weed-killer. 
On March 20, 2015, the WHO ruled that the main ingredient in Monsanto’s
Roundup®, glyphosate, is “probably carcinogenic”. 
Subsequently, claims that glyphosate exposure resulting from Roundup®
resulted in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, among others cancers, led to multiple lawsuits
against Monsanto.  On May 17, 2016, independent news outlet, The
Intercept, published “New Evidence About The Dangers Of Monsanto’s
Roundup”.  The article
noted that further evidence had been published which argued that
ingredients in Roundup® labeled as “inert ingredients” also posed health
risks.  One such “inert ingredient” included chemical polyethoxylated
tallowamine (POEA).  In 2014, Germany banned POEA following lung
inflammation in a worker exposed to the chemical.  In addition, the
European Commission, the European Union’s executive body, made moves to
ban POEA as well.  In April 2016, the French national health and safety
agency, ANSES, began to ban the combination of POEA and glyphosate. 
Increased scrutiny regarding the safety of the inactive ingredients’
stemmed from the company’s requirement to declare active ingredients,
while inactive ingredients remain undeclared.  Independent news outlets
such as The Intercept, Infowars and Activist Post covered the developing story while corporate media outlets offered minimal and modulated coverage.


Glyphosate is one of the most widely used agricultural chemical of all time; its


toxicity alongside other ingredients in products such as Roundup® pose mutual risk to agriculture producers and consumers alike.