Agent Orange In Food Production Is On The Cusp Of Deregulation

By Laurel Maloy, contributing writer, Food Online

Two government agencies, the USDA and the EPA, are about to approve two separate campaigns for deregulation and regulation of 2, 4-D crop seeds and 2, 4-D weed killer, respectively

Despite a humongous public outcry, the USDA is poised to approve newly engineered, genetically modified (GMO) corn and soybeans created by Dow Chemical. Concurrently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reviewing a Dow-created chemical, (2,4-D), for use on the genetically engineered (GE) fields planted with Dow’s new corn and soybeans. The EPA is not governed by the USDA, but in this case, is making a decision directly relating to the health and welfare of the American consumer. The logical course of events, as demonstrated by previous outcomes, may be:

1. Approval of Dow’s 2, 4-D weed killer, half of the defoliation concoction (Agent Orange) used during the Vietnam War
2. Approval of 2, 4-D-resistant crop seeds (#1 and #2 may happen in reverse order)
3. Increased use of 2, 4-D weed killer, the result of #1 and #2
4. 2, 4-D-resistant weeds, the result of #3
5. The need for creation of a different chemical, the result of #4
6. Perpetuating damage to the earth and its consumers, the result of #5 above
7. Job-security for Dow and others, the result of all of the above

Dow seems to be following in Monsanto’s footsteps, by creating both the chemical and the chemical-resistant crops, as in the case of Monsanto’s Roundup and Roundup-resistant GE crops. Additionally, Dow is creating the same type of buzz, but maybe louder, based upon the poor results the public outcry had in response to Monsanto’s claims years ago.  In fact, Dow’s current project may have everything to do with Roundup’s tide of bad press as weeds have evolved to be resistant to the effects of that particular defoliant.

Some feel, however, that Dow’s, the USDA’s, and the EPA’s actions take the disregard for human safety and the environment to a whole new level. For instance, the long term effects of Agent Orange have shown an increase in some forms of cancer and in severe birth defects. Service members and their dependents are still suffering these effects. Additionally, Dioxin, a component of Agent Orange, is the longest-lasting and most lethal ingredient in this recipe for dead vegetation. Dioxin is proven to remain effectively stable in an underground aquifer for at least 100 years, to leach into soils and remain long-lived, and to live in a human body’s fatty tissues for decades.  The organic growing community has long touted the benefits of going chemical-free. The use of corn, gluten meal, crop rotation, and crop management are just a few of the less-damaging ways by which to decrease weeds while improving crop production.  The irony is that the USDA has made it more difficult to farm organically and be lucrative, while making it easier for the large chemical companies to become ever more profitable.

The most recent outcry against both Dow’s new herbicide, Enlist Duo, and its newest GE crops, comes directly from congress — 50 democratic members drafted a letter to the USDA and the EPA. The letter references “Roundup Ready” crops and the alarms sounded by the scientific community in regard to the negative effects on the human population. Besides cancer and birth defects, Agent Orange has been proven to result in decreased sperm count, liver disease, and Parkinson’s disease. The letter explains the Dioxin-connection and its ability for bioaccumulation in the food chain, leading to dangerous levels of human exposure. It is unknown whether this last ditch effort, just prior to their five-week August recess, will be taken seriously by either the USDA or the EPA. They cited an increase in the first generation of Roundup herbicide use of 527 million pounds in the 15 years leading up to 2011. This increase has triggered an epidemic of “superweeds,” which now invade over 61 million acres of farmland in 36 states. The letter even cites the draft of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) from the USDA’s own Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). This EIS backs up the claim that allowing these approvals to proceed will result in a “three to seven fold increase in 2, 4-D use.”  

If the scientific and environmental evidence is to be believed, the farmers themselves may be the losers in the next 20 years. If the farmers are affected, so are those who process the food, transport the food, and sell the food, as well as those who depend upon it for sustenance.  The efficacy and safety of the food chain is critical to the survival of the nation, both economically and in regard to its health.