Articles

Two scientists in the U.S. have published an opinion piece in the New England Journal of Medicine, on GMOs (genetically modified organisms), herbicides and public health. Herbicide resistance is the main GM trait for plants. Corn and soybeans genetically engineered to resist glyphosate (Roundup) were introduced in the mid-1990s and these “Roundup-Ready” crops now account for more than 90% of the corn and soybeans planted in the U.S. Along with this, glyphosate use increased by more than 250 times, from 0.4 million kg in 1974 to 113 million kg in 2014. Glyphosate-resistant weeds are now found on nearly 100 million acres in 36 states. Farmers have to resort to using stronger herbicides. Residues of glyphosate have been detected in food and water.