And you thought Roundup (Glyphosate) was safe?

Glyphosate impacts not only on human health but across the whole ecosystem

Quick summary:-

·        Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the world.

·        Its use has increased significantly (~500%) since the introduction of GMO crops.

·        Increasing evidence that the herbicide is dangerous to humans – World Health Organisation classified as “probably carcinogenic” in 2015.

·        Research in 2020 found that glyphosate had a detrimental impact on more than 50% of the human gut microbiome

·        Damage to the human gut microbiome has been associated with many autoimmune diseases as well as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, depression, autism, infertility, cancer and Alzheimer’s.

·        To avoid glyphosate in your diet you need to either know where your food comes from (grow your own, know the farmer / farming system that it comes from) or purchase certified organic produce.

·        Manna Hill Estate has been certified organic for nearly 20 years – so you know that our produce is safe from dangerous chemicals. 

Background: -

By way of background Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the world - with around 9.4 million tons of the chemical having been used since it’s introduction in 1974.  That is the equivalent of around ½ a kilogram of Roundup being applied to every cultivated hectare on the planet.   Originally patented by Monsanto (now Bayer) it is now sold by many companies in hundreds of products.  Glyphosate is best known as the active ingredient in Roundup-branded herbicides, and the herbicide used with “Roundup Ready” genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

According to US data, (2017) herbicide tolerance is the most prevalent GMO trait engineered into food crops, with some 90% of corn and 94% of soybeans in the U.S. engineered to tolerate herbicides.Not unsurprisingly Americans’ exposure to glyphosate increased approximately 500 percent since Roundup Ready GMO crops were introduced in 1996

Dangerous to human health: -

There is increasing evidence that the herbicide is dangerous to humans and other parts of the ecosystem. In 2015, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans” after reviewing years of published and peer-reviewed scientific studies. The team of international scientists found there was a particular association between glyphosate and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.  Not unsurprisingly, in Australia, we have seen clusters of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in cropping areas (eg around Horsham in Victoria).  In 2019 the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Reproductive and Environmental Health Committee stated: “We recommend that glyphosate exposure to populations should end with a full global phase out.”

In late 2020 scientists reported in the Journal of Hazardous Materials that more than half the bacteria in the human gut microbiome are sensitive to glyphosate.  They found that the herbicide could disturb the natural cycles of microbiome life, and potentially harm human health, through weakening the system and causing greater susceptibility to diseases. The researchers indicated that: - "Glyphosate targets an enzyme ... [that] is crucial to synthesizing three essential amino acids," Glyphosate may have a strong impact on bacterial species in the human microbiome, and several recent studies have shown that perturbations in the human gut microbiome are connected to many modern diseases.  In addition, it has been found that glyphosate enhances the damaging effects of other food borne chemical residues and environmental toxins. Typically, the negative impacts on the body are insidious and manifest slowly over time as inflammation damages cellular systems throughout the body.  Glyphosphate absorption has been implicated in a many medical conditions including auto-immune diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, autism, infertility, cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

Dangerous to other parts of the ecosystem: -

While much of the focus to date has been on the impacts on human health there is a rich and diverse microbial community living in the soil, on plant surfaces, and in animal guts (which humans then consume). It is possible that even low glyphosate residue may indirectly affect pest and pathogen occurrence in these communities.  The long-term impact of these affects is currently unknown – but there is likely to be little upside!

What can you do about it: -

Given the very wide use of glyphosate in industrial agriculture and the increasing evidence of its toxicity to humans in even low concentrations (below that allowed by regulatory agencies) how do you avoid it?  Eating fruit and vegetables from your own garden is a great start – but for a whole host of reasons I recognize this isn’t practical for many people.  So, if you don’t know where your food comes from (ie know the farmer and their farming practices) the only other alternative is to seek out organically certified food. Organic certification prevents the use of glyphosate (and also other synthetic herbicides, pesticides, fertilisers).  At Manna Hill Estate we have been organically certified for nearly 20 years – so you know that our produce is safe from harmful chemicals and toxins.     

Manna Hill Estate has been organically certified for nearly 20 years so that you know that our products are free from toxic chemicals and additives