GMO is a generic term that involves changing a plant's genes to increase productivity or disease and insect resistance . From Hannah Ritchie's Not the End of the World: "Genetic breeding gets a bad reputation and environmental circles, but it has been absolutely crucial to increasing crop yields across the world and could play a much bigger role if we are to develop agriculture that works well in a changing climate. Not only would it allow farmers to achieve good, stable yields, it could even mean we need to use fewer fertilizers and pesticides too. What's most frustrating about the opposition to genetic engineering is that once again it often hurts the poorest the most. The ones who will be most vulnerable to a potential crash in yields and food supply. To stand in the way of solutions that might help to alleviate this damage is an injustice."

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As always, there is another side to the equation. Foods are genetically modified largely to be resistant to glyphosate  as the real money is in round-up resistance and insects are becoming resistant to this technology. The most familiar use of GMOs is their ability to resist the herbicide glyphosate (the active ingredient in round-up). These plants are nicknamed "round-up ready" because they are not killed by round-up, unlike the surrounding weeds.

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However, non-GMO foods are often sprayed with different herbicides that are likely equally, if not more dangerous, to us and the environment. To be fully safe and environmentally friendly, we should opt for organic foods, which by definition means NO GMOs. As of 2023, it is not clear if genetically modified plants, in and of themselves, harm our health. What is of concern is the glyphosate GMO plants are sprayed with, which is known to be toxic to us and the environment. It's worth noting that it may be other, even inert, ingredients in round-up that are causing bees to die for example. Additionally, resistance to round-up is occurring in GMO plants, leading to higher doses and the use of additional herbicides.

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What is not as well appreciated is that round-up acts through the shikimate pathway. This metabolic process is essential not only for plant life but also for bacteria, fungi, and algae. This pathway is not found in animal cells. Thus, glyphosate is also an antibiotic, similar to penicillin! In fact, glyphosate has been called an antibiotic masquerading as an herbicide. This leads me to the conclusion it must be the most widely and indiscriminately used antibiotic in the world!

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We are discovering the amazing role of the soil microbiome in providing nutrients to plants and even communicating between them. Studies have shown that glyphosate harms soil health. Previously, we thought it became inactive once sprayed, but now we know it adheres to water and soil particles."The overuse of glyphosate has induced issues such as contamination of surface water, decreased soil fertility, adverse effects on soil microbiota, and possible incorporation in food chains."

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So why do we care?

• Glyphosate was labeled as probably carcinogenic by IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) in 2015. It has many biochemical effects, such as chelating vital elements, which could be related to chronic diseases, DNA damage, birth defects, and being an endocrine disruptor. Glyphosate has become so prevalent that USGS found it in 70% of rainfall samples and the majority of waterways in 38 states.
• It kills bees at high rates. Interestingly, a 2021 study points to undisclosed inert ingredients (which typically make up a majority of the product formulation) as the primary culprit, rather than glyphosate altering their gut biome as previously thought.
• Since glyphosate is an antibiotic, it may disrupt our own beneficial gut bacteria.
• The first lawsuit against round-up was won by a groundskeeper in California who was awarded 290 million dollars from Bayer (who purchased Monsanto just prior to this first of many lawsuits!). The lead toxicologist on this case informed me that a subsequent case awarded a couple initially 2 billion. The jurors were furious when presented with evidence of the cover-up that had occurred at Monsanto.

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Why is round-up used?

• To control weeds, with the top 3 users being soybeans, corn, and cotton. Canola, sugar beets, and some alfalfa follow.
• As a dessicant, where it is used to kill non-GMO plants like wheat, oats, lentils, peas, canola, and potatoes, so they have time to dry out 2 weeks before harvest. This is why products like Cheerios and Quaker Oats were contaminated with significant levels of glyphosate.
• In between plantings to keep weeds down.
• To assist in harvesting. For example, almonds are the 8th leading use of round-up. A barren area beneath the trees makes it easier to gather almonds shaken from the trees at harvest.

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Which foods have the highest concentrations of glyphosate? We are most concerned about vegetable oils and margarines derived from GMO crops (canola, soybean, corn, and cottonseed oil), as well as soy-derived protein, beet sugar, and high fructose corn syrup, which are pervasive in processed foods. We should also consider meat, eggs, cheese, and other dairy products from animals fed glyphosate-contaminated grass, alfalfa, corn, and soy.

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Which crops use the most round-up? The top 7 are: soybeans, corn, cotton, wheat, oranges, sorghum, and almonds. Additionally, approximately five million acres in California were treated with glyphosate to grow peaches, onions, cantaloupe, cherries, sweet corn, citrus, grapes, etc.

Remember, you eat what your food eats.

But don't let it discourage you from eating fruits and veggies. Their benefits far outweigh any concerns about herbicides.

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