e360 digest
17 Nov 2009:
Increase In GM Crops
Leads to Jump in Herbicide Use
The widespread use of genetically modified crops engineered to tolerate herbicides has led to a sharp increase of the chemicals in the U.S. and is creating herbicide-resistant “super weeds” and an increase in chemical residues in U.S. food, according to a new report. As more farmers have adopted variations of corn, soy beans, and cotton bred to tolerate weed killer in recent years, the use of herbicides has increased steadily, with herbicide use growing by 383 million pounds from 1996 to 2008, according to a report released by The Organic Center, the Union for Concerned Scientists, and the Center for Food Safety. Forty-six percent of that increase occurred during 2007 and 2008. The most popular genetically modified crops are known as “Roundup ready” for their ability to survive after being sprayed with the well known herbicide, Roundup. Officials with the Biotechnology Industry Organization said herbicide-resistant crops make it easier for farmers to manage weed problems. But Bill Freese, science policy analyst for the Center for Food Safety, called the increase in herbicide use “bad news for farmers, human health and the environment,” in part because it has led to an epidemic of herbicide-resistant weeds. The report said the use of insecticides has actually decreased by 64 million pounds since 1996 because many genetically modified crops carry traits that make them resistant to insects.
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