1) Why are so many countries stepping up to stop Monsanto's products?
2) How do you feel about the decisions these countries are making?
3) Who is most affected by these decisions? Will this hurt the poor farmer in these poor countries?
4) What implications could this have on Canada?
http://rt.com/news/brazil-roundup-monsanto-ban-721/
This is my post for the week:
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article I began to wonder why there had been no law passed at this point, so I decided to research the effects of the chemical named in the article: glyphosate.
The articles are all over the place. There are some researchers who claim that there are studies that draw the conclusion that rather than short-term effects Round-up causes negative long-term health effects. The two researchers in the article I read listed that the toxin can be linked to gut bacteria, which can lead to many diseases and conditions. They named many such as digestive issues, obesity, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, Parkinson’s disease and more. It was very alarming to read.
However, knowing one source was not enough I searched again, and found an article on Monsanto’s website. They claimed that those two researchers in particular did not have enough scientific research to back their opinion up. This too was shocking, because they too had sources to back up the false claims from blogs to online newspapers.
I think that neither side has necessarily done enough studies to be completely sure of side effects. I think that it is likely a very wise move for Brazil to prohibit the use of the pesticide/ GM plants until more studies have been completed. Some of Monsanto’s other products have been banned due to health and environmental effects in Brazil, and many other countries. So, I think that it is a wise idea to wait until the product can be completely proven safe.
Here are the two opposing articles:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/monsanto-roundup-the-impacts-of-glyphosate-herbicide-on-human-health-pathways-to-modern-diseases/5342520
http://www.monsanto.com/sitecollectiondocuments/glyphosate-and-celiac-disease.pdf
your posts are always so interesting, great job!
DeleteGreat post! I find it very interesting how in depth and how much research you do for these posts. Great way to learn new things
ReplyDeleteGood post Ruth! I agree with you that Brazil probably made a wise decision to prohibit the pesticide/ GM plant. We can honestly never know the long term effects until these plants are tested further. The last thing I want to see is another situation like the one about the town in Alabama on the documentary we watched, where the people did not know the harmful affects until it was too late.
DeleteI agree with all three of these posts/comments. It's scary that Monsanto is so willing to test out this chemicals that they don't know what effect it will have in the future.
DeleteThis is my weekly post:
ReplyDeleteWhen you take a look at Monsanto's marketing schemes, many of them seem to be focused on helping out the poorer farmers. By modifying the genetic disposition of plants, Monsanto and similar corporations are suggesting that they can help farmers produce more crops and get more money for their efforts, which is essential in the war against poverty.
However, they fail to acknowledge the fact that they seem to be less interested in aiding the poor, and more interested in getting them hooked on their products. With products such as terminator seeds (seeds that do not reproduce, so the farmer must purchase them again each season), Monsanto is ensuring that these farmers will be forced to return their money to the corporation time and time again, preventing them from attaining the self-sufficiency that is key for escaping the cycle of poverty.
Another article about Brazil's conflict with GM products, this time about terminator seeds: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/dec/12/brazil-gm-terminator-seed-technology-farmers