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Monsanto is Evil - Round-Up, GMO, Argentina
Argentina's rural villagers have been recently plagued by a spike in cancer rates and birth defects; it follows the introduction of Monsanto's Round-Up
Date: 3/16/2013 2:44:02 PM ( 11 y ) ... viewed 9859 times Monsanto is Evil - Round-Up, GMO, Argentina
First, some Background
This story is about Round-Up, a chemical that kills weeds that grow in farm crops; the main ingredient in Round-Up is "Glyphosate".
Monsanto is the company that produces Round-Up, and they also produce the corn, soya bean, and other types of seeds that have been Genetically Modified to grow where Round-Up is used. Any other plants die when sprayed with Round-Up, but not the plants that grow from Monsanto seed. These special seeds are called "Round-Up Ready" seeds.
We have heard that Round-Up, and it's main chemical Glyphosate, is safe.
We have also heard that Round-Up, and it's main chemical Glyphosate, are NOT safe, that they cause cancer and birth defects.
There are 100s of studies on both sides of this debate, some showing that glyphosate is safe, some showing that it causes cancers and birth defects.
Strike One against Round-Up is that the studies showing it causes cancers and birth defects were done by independent scientists, and the studies showing that it is safe were paid for by Monsanto.
Strike Two against Round-Up is the "anecdotal evidence" - such as farmers saying "we never saw much cancer here until they started spraying Round-Up", or the Doctors saying that "there has been a significant increase in cancers and birth defects since they started using Round-Up around here".
However, neither of those strikes against Round-Up are not solid proof. Monsanto allways seems to have ways to dispute the critics of their products.
The Damning Evidence
There IS an example where the evidence is clear - rural Argentina.
There are some rural communities in Argentina that had allways been surrounded by jungle and forest, and it was very rare to see a case of cancer or a birth defect.
Then, in the late 1990s, those forests were bulldozed, soya fields replaced the forests. This was a government initiative, the government says they were trying to help the locals produce crops for export so their economy could expand. It is the life blood of capitalism that the economy expands.
Round-Up ready soya beans were planted, and the spraying of Round-Up started. The government had partnered up with Monsanto to produce a lot of soya beans for export.
Birth defects and cancer rates soared in those specific areas, areas where cancers and birth defects had previously been almost unheard of. It was mostly children who were affected. The Doctors had rarely had to deal with cancers or birth defects in their hospitals before, now there were many cases showing up. It is heartbreaking for the parents, and the Doctors carry a heavy burden to have to tell parents the bad news.
The reason that children are mostly affected is because foetuses are very susceptible to genetic damage and genetic damage is the basis of birth defects and cancers. Adults are less prone to the genetic damage that causes cancers. When a pregnant mother is exposed to the spray their unborn child is at great risk; the birth defects seen in those areas is the horrible evidence that Round-Up is dangerous.
The doctors who work in the hospitals in those areas were interviewed about the connection of birth defects and cancers to Round-Up. They showed a chart of the incidence of cancers and birth defects from 1970 to 2010 - it shows very low rates of those conditions and then it rises sharply in the past 10 years. They have another chart showing when the forests were cut down and soya bean crops were planted and sprayed with Round-Up... also in the past 10 years.
It is very clear - cancers and birth defects began to show up in tandem with the start of the planting of the soya fields and spraying of Round-Up.
If it is so obvious, why doesn't someone help them?
The government members are using some very familiar sounding phrases. We have heard these phrases in Canada, in the USA, in every industrialised nation, and now in the developing nations too. Monsanto educates them on the "talking points" to use.
For example, Argentina's Minister of Environment DE CLAREs that "Argentina has some of the most strict environmental regulations in the world".
And, "we have studied the safety of Round-Up and we found no evidence that it produces cancers or birth defects".
The government members are very close to Monsanto. They are shown at lavish banquets together. There was campaign funding from Monsanto for the elected government members. There is also evidence of Monsanto giving money directly to government officials.
So much for the hope that the government would help the people affected by Monsanto's poisons.
Anyone else who might want to help would be stopped by government. If outsiders came to help, the local police might arrest them, or the government might deport them.
The locals have to try to help themselves, but it is a difficult task.
Sometimes brutal tactics are used to shut the locals up. Villagers have had their water wells poisoned. Local activists who dare protest what is happening to their people have been shot at, and some have been killed... but the murders were never found, and very little investigation was done.
Anyone who would fight Monsanto faces a tough battle. The most powerfull people are protecting Monsanto, and nobody is protecting the villagers.
This story is not unique to Argentina - similar stories have been heard from Central America, and other South American nations, wherever Monsanto goes, this situation develops.
It is all about the corruption of big money, big corporations that are more powerfull thaneven the national governments. Only a few nations have resisted this deadly onslaught of the corporate evil - such as Venezuela. Argentina has conservative government, Venezuela has a socialist government.... but this is not about socialists Vs conservatives, the evil begins with Monsanto.
Here is a link to the story about Argentina's rural people and Monsanto:
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/peopleandpower/2013/03/201331313434142322.html
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