For those that are unaware, Monsanto is the company that made genetic modification a standard practice in the farming industry at a global scale. The reason for creating genetically modified organisms (GMOs) was to create a crop that would be resistant to herbicides, specifically Monsanto’s herbicide, Roundup.
Their initial thoughts were that if a crop will not be killed by an herbicide, then fields can be entirely sprayed and only weeds will be affected. This plan is harmful to biodiversity, and Monsanto put it into effect without proper research into the effects of releasing both GMOs and Roundup into the environment. Specifically, there was not enough testing done on how non-plant lifeforms react to exposure.
I felt the need to write this article due to two recent events. The first and more well-researched was a new study conducted at the University of Texas in Austin that found that exposure to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, results in weakened immune systems for honey bees. This is due to an effect that consuming glyphosate through pollen has on their stomach bacteria. It kills certain beneficial bacteria within the bees’ guts, which makes them far more susceptible to infection and death from harmful bacteria. Bayer Pharmaceuticals, which recently purchased Monsanto, has vehemently denied these results, stating that the study was conducted on too small of a scale to be accurate. This is simply the wrong response in my eyes, as they are not taking it seriously enough. Perhaps the study was a fluke rather than a repeatable test, but until more research is done into this specific effect of Roundup, we simply do not know. Working with partial information is dangerous in any circumstance, and considering how essential bees are to our agricultural system, this study must be looked at more closely.
The second event was when a jury in California made a ruling in August of this year that exposure to Monsanto’s Roundup caused a man’s cancer. I was unable to find the details of how they came to that conclusion, but Bayer’s response was inadequate once again. They immediately became defensive and found legal loopholes to lower the initial fine of $289 million to only $78.6 million. In my mind this is atrocious for this sole reason: if a mistake is made, the perpetrator should own up to it. We are taught this from an early age, and yet for some reason when it comes to massive corporations, people believe the same rules do not apply. Money should not be an alternative to basic morality, and thus Monsanto should again research the effects of Roundup more thoroughly. These two studies show that they must revisit the ruling that glyphosate is not harmful to non-plant life.
Regardless of all of this, the core principle behind the use of Roundup is to kill everything except for our food. This is a dangerous plan because biodiversity is necessary to maintain a healthy ecosystem. Even if animal life is not affected by the use of Roundup, every plant in and surrounding farms is killed by its use. This leads to unhealthy soil as plant variation is required to maintain proper availability of nutrients within it. In a world where human development all too often ignores the environment for the sake of profit, we must protect biodiversity in every way that we can. If we ignore these warning signs, it is very possible that things will only worsen, and by the time our society addresses it, it may be too late. Thus, I write this article to inform more than anything else, and to urge us that we can- not remain apathetic in the face of blatant disregard for morality. Especially because if these studies are not standalone instances, then we will all be hurt in the long run.
