Yes, you and I can help BAN glyphosate from our food.
First a quick note from Kelly: It blows me away how the more educated we all become about what we put into our bodies, the more the food system actually changes in response to our demands. Slowly but surely we're seeing more labels stating things like, “GMO free”, “No high fructose corn syrup”, or “Trans-fat free”. It's like a dream come true for us real foodies! We need glyphosate to be next on this list, because once that happens, as Joanie explains below, there's bound to be a higher demand for chemical-free food and it'll slowly become the norm.
Here's Joanie Blaxter, founder of Follow Your Gut…
Did you know that the rate of autism in this country has risen in virtually EXACT proportion to the application of glyphosate (Roundup) to industrially raised wheat, corn and soy?
Glyphosate has been shown to be a:
- Neurotoxin,
- Endocrine distruptor,
- Mineral chelator,
- Antibiotic and gut microbiome disruptor, and
- Carcinogen which causes liver disease.
Furthermore, it's everywhere! Glyphosate has been found in:
- Tap water,
- Mother's breastmilk,
- Our children's urine, and
- Childhood vaccinations.
In other words, the more glyphosate we've fed to ourselves and our families (for example, high levels in all processed and convenience foods, OR injected directly into our bloodstream through vaccines in combination with chemical activators like mercury), the more our children have suffered permanent neurological damage.
Monsanto long used the slogans, “It's Safer than Mowing,” “Biodegradable,” and “Environmentally Friendly” to describe Roundup — until the real effects of this toxic herbicide were revealed and they were forced to discontinue their deceptive advertising. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in RoundUp, is the most commonly reported cause of pesticide illness among landscape maintenance workers in California.” Source: France Finds Monsanto Guilty of Lying.
The door began to open in 2015.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (a powerful organization because it affects worldwide governmental standards for how the chemical is used) announced the results of its own independent, rather than industry-sponsored, laboratory tests.
Contradicting decades of Monsanto's claims, the IARC found glyphosate to be much more dangerous than previously reported and redefined it as a “probable” carcinogen.
The door opened even wider about a year later when California announced it would follow the IARC's lead. However, what California had to do first is to decide on the maximum daily amount of glyphosate exposure it would recommend as “safe,” also called the NSRL or “No Significant Risk Level.”
Initially the California EPA scientists suggested that 1100mcg is the amount of glyphosate that's “safe” on a daily basis, which is ridiculously high:
- That suggested level is based on adult sized bodies only and does NOT take into account the smaller bodies of unborn fetuses, babies and children.
- It is also wildly unrealistic. For example, a single oatmeal cookie from the CA State Capitol Building's Cafe, tested in 2016, contained 311mcg of glyphosate.
- Furthermore, the proposed level does not factor in glyphosate sprayed at schools, playgrounds, near farms, or backyard gardens.
As part of its process for deciding upon its state-recommended levels of “safe” glyphosate exposure, it requested public feedback. I was honored to be part of the 100+ folks who went to Sacramento on June 7, 2017 to speak before several scientists from the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), along with research scientist Anthony Samsel who came all the way across the country from Massachusetts to give his five minutes before that panel.
Dr. Samsel, colleague of Stephanie Seneff, senior researcher from MIT, has published five, peer-reviewed papers on the dangers of glyphosate. Samsel and Seneff previously have shown that antiobiotic glyphosate interferes with the functioning of the human immune system by destroying the balance of the microbial population in the gut. (See Why Glyphosate Is Dangerous)
Dr. Samsel promised that his sixth, soon to be published, paper will be even more damaging to glyphosate than his previous findings. His research shows that contrary to Monsanto's claims of the chemical's harmlessness, that, in fact, there are no safe levels of this neurotoxin because glyphosate interferes with every single enzyme pathway in the body.
The stunning implications of this as a danger to human health cannot be overemphasized!
Furthermore, glyphosate wreaks this havoc merely through real life exposure: low dose over the long term.
Yes, All Monsanto Test Results Are Wrong
The reason all industry testing on glyphosate is fundamentally skewed and inapplicable to human health is because they all use the same testing approach – short term in combination with high levels of exposure to the chemical.
Samsel was adamant – this model must be thrown out across the board and replaced with looking at very long term, very low level exposure, particularly in combination with other potentially activating neurotoxins, chemicals and heavy metals.
This is not only the only model that mimics real life exposure, but is also the only means through which glyphosate's worst damage can be tracked.
Having now collected comments from the public, California is in the process of deciding upon its final recommendation. While we wait to learn California's decision concerning a “safe” level of glyphosate, it is critically important to keep up the pressure on our representatives no matter our state.
We all know how much glyphosate is “safe”: ZERO, ZIP, NADA. In other words, we want to BAN GLYPHOSATE.
Here's our hidden backdoor to defeating Big Brother!
If California (or any state) sets the minimum exposure level to a very low or NO level, then Monsanto and all chemical producers of the herbicide, as well as all the giant food manufacturers who use glyphosate-containing food in their products, will be forced to put a warning on their label.
The label would be required to say that using or consuming that product may lead to excessive exposure to a “probable carcinogen.”
General Mills will never do that and that's game-over, folks!!!
All industrial food manufacturers nationwide will remove glyphosate-containing ingredients from their food rather than put a warning on the outside.
And with new markets then opening for glyphosate-free wheat, corn, soy, etc., farmers nationwide will be able to switch to growing non-GMO or organic crops, and THAT friends, is how we join forces to ban glyphosate!
Is the state of California financially bailing Monsanto out in exchange for classifying Roundup as a carcinogen?
I was recently informed by a former California public health employee, that CalPERS, the state's pension and health care fund, the largest in the nation, has invested $136 million in Monsanto.
As a California activist committed to healthy communities, I see this investment as a huge conflict of interest. For its health plan subscribers, the CalPERS mission to “advance the financial and health security” of the participants does not align with the detrimental effects of the toxic herbicide Roundup, Monsanto’s number-one product.
The day after finding out about this ill-advised investment, I sent a letter to CalPERS urging it to divest from Monsanto. They have not responded.
(Source: America's Largest Pension Fund Has Dumped a Fortune into Monsanto Stock)
The state of California knows that Monsanto's sales will be dramatically hurt by classifying the herbicide as “carcinogenic.” Furthermore, Monsanto's public image is worse than it ever has been. It does seem bizarre that the state's pension and health care fund is so heavily invested in Monsanto stock.
By the way, do you doubt you have pesticides and/or herbicides in your body?
In 2005, the Environmental Working Group tested the blood in the umbilical cords of newborns and found 287 chemicals.
How much glyphosate do you or your children have in your bodies?
Click here to get your urine or water source tested for glyphosate.
How much difference does eating organic for just two weeks make?
This Scandinavian family eating a conventional diet (because clean food is “too expensive”) got tested for multiple pesticides/herbicides/fungicides. They then ate 100% organic and retested all five family members after two weeks.
Together we can do this. Give 'em hell, Harry!
More you might be interested in:
- Moms Across America: Empowered Moms, Healthy Kids – my personal favorite resource for information on the dangers of glyphosate.
This post on how to ban glyphosate was written by my sweet friend, Joanie Blaxter. Joanie has been in sales and education in the natural foods and products industry since the early 70’s, with six years spent recently as a vitamin specialist in a natural foods store. She was also the Weston Price chapter leader for the Ventura, CA area.
Top photo, Creative Commons 2.0
Linda says
Ok, did it. Besides worrying about what is in my food, my town comes through every summer to spray glyphosate on the weeds growing through cracks in the streets of our neighborhood. I don’t want to be anywhere near the stuff. I did call last summer to complain but he told me he believes it is safe & he doesn’t know what else to use. They can’t leave the weeds to keep growing. He is open to suggestions, but I don’t know what they can use that totally safe & effective.
Annie Miller says
Done. Thanks.
Flo LaDuke Richards says
The sad thing is that those fields still belong to my 89-year-old FIL who lives next-door. They’re rented out by neighbors (three brothers and their families). My BIL has a thought of someday doing something organic on the property but it’s hard to know if he’ll end up following through. I sure wouldn’t mind it. We DO have an organic farm to our east — probably a couple of fields over. I don’t know that I’d expect the ones renting to ever change over. It’s hard to think of changing when it’s your bread and butter (though the others did years ago — but I think THAT causes issues between neighbors, too). I probably cause indigestion with the things I post but I just hope tiny bits of doubt start.
I did participate in the petition.
Danielle Levins says
Done and shared. It is VERY overwhelming, and it is constant. If we’re out of the house I have to be 100% guard, of everything. Plus I have to deal with the eye rolls and attitudes from the people thinking I just do this crap for fun…yeah…right….I totally act like a psycho over everything my kids eat because it’s fun….sure…totally overwhelming.
Joanie Blaxter says
This is our chance Danielle! All the food out there will be a the same level playing field, at least as far as that poison glyphosate goes! And if all the big food manufacturers pull glyphosate out, you know they will start actually using not just gmo-free, but also 100% organic. THANK YOU FOR POSTING AND REPOSTING THIS ARTICLE!
Gayle N Scott Lind says
Done
Joanie Blaxter says
THE KIDS THANK YOU Gayle! And their children and children’s children 🙂
Flo LaDuke Richards says
I DO feel overwhelmed. You’d THINK if you lived out in the boonies it’d be pristine. But OUR boonies is in the middle of farm fields. I try to have an organic garden but I’m sure it gets tainted just from the close proximity all around us.
Joanie Blaxter says
Flo, imagine all those farm field surrounding you converted to organic! Because that’s the opportunity we have so close right now. Tell everyone you know who cares about this issue.