I have to correct some misleading information provided in a letter by Dr. Boyles [in “The Readers’ Turn”] about the active ingredient in Roundup, glyphosate. While he is correct that glyphosate is a herbicide (weed killer) and not a pesticide, he is wrong about its use in our food chain. It is applied not only to our basic food supply, like GMO (genetically modified organism) corn and soybeans (#1 crop chemical worldwide) but also to many fruits and vegetables.
A little history. GMO crops (from GMO seeds) were designed by Monsanto to increase crop yields by huge margins by allowing our food supply to safely withstand the harsh chemical treatment of Roundup (e.g. Roundup Ready Crops). Roundup is sprayed on GMO crops like corn and soy because they are genetically engineered to withstand the harshness of the chemical. Glyphosate technically will even kill non-GMO crops not engineered to withstand the chemical. So, now we can get 200 or more bushels of corn per acre, but it comes with a heavy price for our long-term health.
