To the Editor:
People need to be aware of the dangers associated with plants genetically modified to be tolerant to unlimited amounts of herbicide applications, as well as those that produce a pesticide from within the plant itself. (Bt Corn) Currently the most widely planted crops are Round-Up resistant Corn and Soy. However, due to the emergence of Round-Up resistant weeds, which now account for 51 percent of American farmland, farmers are wanting to do away with Round-Up Resistant crops, and go forth with 2-4-D tolerant crops. 2-4-D has been heavily regulated since the Vietnam war era. 2-4-D is 50 percent of the chemical recipe of Agent Orange. These Dow AgroScience seeds were up for review by the FDA and USDA in 2013, in which they were not approved to plant due to lack of research of the risk of Bio-accumulation in humans, etc.
We do not need these seeds. There are several alternatives. Through the strategic use of cover crops like Winter Rye, Hairy Vetch, and physical barriers, farmers can easily control weeds and support healthy biological life within the soil. The time has come to think of the children and the future. This mass Mono-culture cannot go on. It is not sustainable, and is bound to collapse.