Agribusiness Run Amok

The US Environmental Protection Agency has revealed a proposal for mass use of Dow Chemical’s herbicide 2,4-D on the company’s genetically-engineered corn and soybeans. The GE crops were developed to withstand several herbicides, including 2,4-D.

Dow would be allowed to sell the herbicide if the EPA approves it following a 30-day public comment period.

[...]

Dow’s genetically-engineered corn and soybeans – known as Enlist – have received preliminary approval from the US Department of Agriculture. Should Enlist crops win ultimate authorization, the USDA said that would increase the annual use of 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) in the United States from 26 million pounds per year to possibly 176 million pounds.

  RT

You remember 2,4-D.  "Agent Orange."  Once banned in this country, but re-approved for special use in recent years.  And, surely you haven't forgotten Monsanto's herbicide-resistant crops.  In fact, those are directly responsible for the "need" to create 2,4-D-resistant crops. What next?

In an agribusiness chemical arms race, Dow’s development of 2,4-D-resistant crops came about once first-generation genetically-modified crops made by Monsanto evolved to resist the company’s Roundup herbicide. The flood of new GE crops increased the use of glyphosate, which has its own links to a host of ill health effects, and glyphosate-resistant “superweeds.”

[...]

Nevertheless, Dow maintains that farmers need an answer for “hard to control” weeds.

Which have been created by the use of herbicides. What a spot of luck for Dow!  An answer for "hard to control" weeds is stop creating them.

“With this decision it is clear that the EPA is serving the interests of Dow Chemical and the biotech industry rather than protecting our health and the environment,” said Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of the Center for Food Safety.

If it wasn’t already obvious.

“Enlist Duo herbicide will help solve the weed control challenges growers are facing, and will be another option to further reduce the potential for development of herbicide-resistant weeds,” said Damon Palmer of Dow AgroSciences, a subsidy of Dow Chemical Company.

No. No, it won’t. The weeds will develop resistance to Duo just as they’ve developed resistance to Roundup.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.