Herbicide tolerant crops
Herbicide tolerant (HT) crops are the biggest selling GM crops. These crops have been made to be tolerant to either Monsanto's weedkiller RoundUp (glyphosate) or Bayer's weedkiller Liberty (glufosinate ammonium). These are broad spectrum herbicides which kill all green plants except those protected as a result of the genetic modification. Recently, the first crops tolerant to 2,4-D, a more toxic weedkiller, have been approved for commercial growing in the USA, as have crops tolerant to dicamba (a weedkiller that can drift onto neighbouring crops, causing problems for farmers).
Monsanto's RoundUp Ready soybeans are the leading product. Roundup Ready GM soybeans are mostly grown in North and South America but are imported into the UK and the rest of Europe in large quantities for use in animal feed. Other herbicide-tolerant crops include maize, sugar beet, and oil seed rape (canola).
Herbicide-tolerant GM crops have been attractive to the biotechnology companies as they have been able to
- sell both the herbicide and the GM seeds as a package
- place the same gene sequences into each of these major crop types
- gain intellectual property rights over the modified seeds and thus charge an annual technology fee.
Herbicide-tolerant GM crops were grown by many large-scale farmers in North and South America because in the early years after adoption they simplified the spraying regimes i.e. farmers only had to spray them once with with one type of herbicide, saving labour costs. However, repeated blanket applications of the same herbicide have led to herbicide-resistant superweeds evolving. These superweeds are now reducing crop yields and require repeated applications of multiple herbicides and sometimes even pulling up by hand. However, many farmers feel trapped into continuing to grow GM because high-yielding non-GM varieties are no longer available on the US market, because they are less profitable for seed and chemical companies.
There are concerns about the impacts on of pesticide residues on GM crops on human health, on wildlife, and on farmers' livelihoods. In 2016, the World Health Organisation's Cancer Agency declared that glyphosate (the active ingredient in RoundUp) is a probable human carcinogen. In South America, local people and some scientists have raised concerns about the health effects of people living near the fields being sprayed with the herbicides used on GM soya. Much of this soya is exported to Europe for use in animal feed.
Blanket spraying of RoundUp Ready GM crops with RoundUp has also caused a drastic loss of the milkweed habitat in the USA, where the iconic Monarch butterfly lays its eggs. This is thought to be the main cause of a 90% crash in Monarch butterfly numbers.
The existence of superweeds is now being used by the companies involved to justify developing new GM crops tolerant to other herbicides, which may be even more damaging. "The weed resistance problems currently infesting U.S. farms are rapidly getting worse, and growers need new technology now to maintain productivity. In 2012, the number of weed-resistant farm acres in the U.S. increased by about 25 percent." Dow AgroSciences USA press release, April 2012.
In the USA, agro-chemical and GM seed companies now recommend that farmers use tank mixes of multiple herbicides to try to tackle the superweed problem.
Dow's GM maize (corn) and soybeans engineered to be tolerant to the weedkiller 2,4-D (one of the ingredients in Agent Orange) has now been approved for growing in the USA. The crops are intended to be planted in response to the spread of superweeds tolerant to Monsanto's weedkiller RoundUp (glyphosate), which have arisen due to use of the company's RoundUp Ready GM crops. In the short term, this will allow the superweeds to be killer by 2,4-D, but in the longer term resistance to this weedkiller will also develop. A significant increase in the use of 2,4-D is expected, leaving toxic residues in the food chain and damaging neighbouring crops due to drift during spraying.
In late 2012, Dow announced plans to introduce GM soybeans which are tolerant to three different weedkillers.
Dicamba-resistant GM crops are also now causing major problems for farmers in the USA, as this weedkiller can drift onto neighbouring crops, harming anything that is not resistant.
In the UK, the Farm Scale Evaluations ran from 1999-2004. Herbicide-tolerant GM sugar beet, maize and oilseed rape (winter and spring) were grown along side conventional crops to monitor their ecological effects. The studies found that the changes in herbicide use associated with growing these GM crops had negative effects on wildlife, due to loss of habitat.
Resources
- GeneWatch reports
- GeneWatch UK Report: Time for the end of GM/GE herbicide tolerant crops? 6th September 2022
- GeneWatch UK Executive Summary: Time for the end of GM/GE herbicide tolerant crops? 6th September 2022
- GeneWatch UK Report: Time for the end of GM/GE herbicide tolerant crops? (low resolution version) 6th September 2022
- TestBiotech, GeneWatch UK, Pesticide Action Network report: The risks of the herbicide 2,4-D 27th January 2014
- Consultation responses
- GeneWatch UK response to USDA consultation on Dow's 2,4-D tolerant corn and soybeans (12th February 2014) 12th February 2014
-
GM Freeze and GeneWatch UK: Joint response to EPA consultation on tolerances for residues of glyphosate in or on multiple commodities (1st July 2013)
Repsonse to plans to increase allowed levels of glyphosate (brandname RoundUp) allowed on oilseed crops (soya, flax and oil seed rape) in the food chain in the USA from 20ppm to 40ppm. Higher levels of weedkillers are needed for GM crops because of increased spraying due to superweeds. Some of these crops may be imported to Europe for use in animal feed.
- Press articles
- Investigate MidWest: Bayer sues four Missouri farmers (29th March 2023)
- NorthWest Arkansas Democrat Gazette: 650,000 acres of soybeans damaged by dicamba this summer, state estimates (19th July 2021)
- Center for Food Safety: UPDATE: MAJOR VICTORY ON MONARCHS PROTECTION - Monarch Butterflies Put on Candidate Waiting List for Endangered Species Act Protection (15th December 2020)
- AgPro: XtendFlex Soybeans Approved, Bayer Offers Guarantee on Dicamba Beans (28th September 2020)
- Successful Farming: Block dicamba until weedkiller is under control, says report (6th August 2020)
- Reuters: Bayer to pay up to USD10.9 billion to settle bulk of Roundup weedkiller cancer lawsuits (24th June 2020)
- Bridge: What's happening to Michigan's insects? A farmer's tale. (22nd June 2020)
- Reuters: Bayer scraps U.S. plans to produce crop chemical blocked by court (16th June 2020)
- Investigate MidWest: 'We've got it everywhere': Dicamba damaging trees across Midwest and South (16th June 2020)
- AgPro: Dicamba’s Future is Shaky - Is Enlist Next on the Chopping Block? (11th June 2020)
- Reuters: Trump administration permits use of weed killer blocked by court (9th June 2020)
- Courthouse News Service: Ninth Circuit Vacates EPA Approval of Dicamba Pesticide (3rd June 2020)
- Progressive Farmer: Dicamba Limits Sought (30th April 2020)
- EurActiv: HELSINKI – Glyphosate is harmful to animals (21st April 2020)
- The Guardian: EPA faces court over backing of Monsanto's controversial crop system (20th April 2020)
- MidWest Center for Investigative Reporting: EPA sidesteps normal public process to approve BASF’s cancer-linked pesticide (3rd April 2020)
- Real Agriculture: Soybean School: Waterhemp spreads to Western Canada (1st April 2020)
- Farm Progress: EPA approves use of isoxaflutole on GMO soybeans (31st March 2020)
- Law 360: Monsanto To Pay USD39M In Roundup False Ad Class Settlement (27th March 2020)
- Progressive Farmer: Fed Watchdog Eyes Dicamba (12th March 2020)
- GMO Science: Our Pets (and Other Animals) at Risk from Glyphosate (4th March 2020)
- Progressive Farmer: Pigweed Punches Back (27th February 2020)
- Feedstuffs: Thousands of farmers expected to join dicamba lawsuits (26th February 2020)
- Bloomberg: Bayer Faces More Monsanto Pain With Trial Loss on Dicamba (17th February 2020)
- Investigate MidWest: Dicamba on trial: Internal docs show Monsanto, BASF prepared for drift complaints prior to dicamba launch (27th January 2020)
- NPR: Dicamba Goes On Trial: The History Behind Monsanto's Friendship-Wilting Weed Killer (24th January 2020)
- Food Navigator: 'Much higher' herbicide residues found in glyphosate-resistant soybeans: 'Glyphosate should not be in the food chain' (16th January 2020)
- Reuters: Brazil grain growers wary of dicamba as Bayer pushes new soy seed (30th September 2019)
- New York Times: Roundup Weedkiller Is Blamed for Cancers, but Farmers Say It's Not Going Away (20th September 2019)
- Progressive Farmer: Off-Target, Once Again (29th July 2019)
- UPI: Scientists scramble to learn why monarch butterflies are dying so quickly (22nd July 2019)
- Bloomberg: Roundup's Risks Could Go Well Beyond Cancer (4th June 2019)
- Kera News: As Weeds Outsmart The Latest Weedkillers, Farmers Are Running Out Of Easy Options (11th April 2019)
- Investigate MidWest: Last year it was dicamba, this year it's 2,4-D (26th March 2019)
- North West Arkansas Democrat Gazette: Birds, crops at risk (31st January 2019)
- The New Republic: A Killing Season (10th December 2018)
- The Guardian: Monsanto: judge moves to allow new trial after USD289m cancer verdict (10th October 2018)
- The Guardian: Monsanto's global weedkiller harms honeybees, research finds (24th September 2018)
- Science: Common weed killer - believed harmless to animals - may be harming bees worldwide (24th September 2018)
- Reuters: U.S. seed sellers push for limits on Monsanto, BASF weed killer (16th August 2018)
- Bloomberg: The Other Monsanto Chemical That Bayer Investors Should Watch (17th August 2018)
- BBC: Monsanto ordered to pay USD289m damages in Roundup cancer trial (11th August 2018)
- Courthouse News Service: Jury Finds Monsanto Owes USD289 Million in Roundup Cancer Trial (10th August 2018)
- KUNC: Federal Suit Alleges Companies Knew Dicamba Would Drift, Monsanto Created Monopoly (2nd August 2018)
- The Progressive Farmer: When Drift Hits Home (20h July 2018)
- Reuters: Robots fight weeds in challenge to agrochemical giants (22nd May 2018)
- The Guardian: Glyphosate shown to disrupt microbiome 'at safe levels', study claims (16th May 2018)
- The Guardian: Weedkiller products more toxic than their active ingredient, tests show (8th May 2018)
- Reuters: Monsanto unfazed by legal wrangles, keeps Brazil dicamba-tolerant seed launch (16th March 2018)
- Patch: Monarch Free-Fall Just Got Worse: 5 Things You Can Do (8th March 2018)
- InvestigateMidWest: Dicamba drift puts natural areas at risk, environmental groups warn (28th February 2018)
- The News Minute: 'Threat to crops and carcinogenic': Farmers welcome move to restrict glyphosate use (16th February 2018)
- AgWeek: Ubiquitous: Will dicamba beans take off in 2018? (9th February 2018)
- The Scientist: How Toxic is the World’s Most Popular Herbicide Roundup? (7th February 2018)
- Big Law Business: Monsanto Faces Farmer Antitrust Suit on Dicamba, Resistant Seed (2nd February 2018)
- Bee Culture: Dicamba and Bees (31st January 2018)
- Reuters: Monsanto looking to sell dicamba-resistant GM soy seed in Brazil (11th January 2018)
- Mother Jones: This Weed Killer Is Wreaking Havoc on America’s Crops (January 2018)
- Mother Jones: This Is How Badly Monsanto Wants Farmers to Spray Its Problematic Herbicide (12th December 2017)
- Mother Jones: Arkansas Moves to Ban Monsanto's Blockbuster Herbicide (10th November 2017)
- No-Till Farmer: Is Glyphosate Harming Your No-Tilled Soils? (28th October 2017)
- New York Times: French Health Regulator Withdraws Licence for Bayer Weedkiller (26th October 2017)
- Der Spiegel: Monsanto Faces Blowback Over Cancer Cover-Up (24th October 2017)
- Irish Farmers Journal: European Parliament votes to ban glyphosate (24th October 2017)
- Consumer Reports: We May Be Consuming More Glyphosate Than Ever Before (24th October 2017)
- UC San Diego Health: Exposure to Glyphosate, Chemical Found in Weed Killers, Increased Over 23 Years (24th October 2017)
- Independent Science News: Dicamba Herbicide Drift: A Disaster in 2017, Will Be Much Worse in 2018 (13th October 2017)
- Reuters: U.S. experts doubt EPA curbs on Monsanto, BASF herbicides will halt crop damage (13th October 2017)
- AP: EPA, herbicide makers agree to new limits for use of dicamba (13th October 2017)
- EurActiv: EU agencies accused of cherry-picking evidence in glyphosate assessment (10th October 2017)
- Mother Jones: Farmers Say Monsanto’s Pesticide Drifted From Nearby Farms and Killed Their Crops. Now They Need Monsanto Seeds to Fix Them (5th October 2017)
- New York Times: Monsanto's Roundup Faces European Politics and U.S. Lawsuits (4th October 2017)
- Bloomberg: Ban of Herbicide Could Benefit Agriculture Prices (2nd October 2017)
- Economic Times: Monsanto exits cotton seeds business in India (8th September 2017)
- Reuters: EPA eyes limits for agricultural chemical linked to crop damage (5th September 2017)
- Reuters: Arkansas May Bar Dicamba Herbicide Use After April 15 (25th August 2017)
- Reuters: Scant oversight, corporate secrecy preceded U.S. weed killer crisis (9th August 2017)
- Huffington Post: Internal EPA Documents Show Scramble For Data On Monsanto’s Roundup Herbicide (7th August 2017)
- Iowa State University: Saving the monarch butterfly: Iowa State University biologist explains census discrepancy (2nd August 2017)
- St. Louis Post Dispatch: Class lawsuit takes aim at dicamba producers, accuses Monsanto reps of condoning illegal spraying (23rd July 2017)
- Colombia Tribune: Weed killer dicamba turns neighbor against neighbor in farm country (18th July 2017)
- Reuters: Tennessee restricts use of Monsanto pesticide as problems spread (13th July 2017)
- North West Arkansas Democrat Gazette: Worry over dicamba grips Arkansas farmers (2nd July 2017)
- North West Arkansas Democrat Gazette: Governor approves dicamba prohibition in Arkansas (1st July 2017)
- AgWeb: Dicamba Drift Reports Rise in Tennessee (26th June 2017)
- St, Louis Post Dispatch: Dicamba damage is back - and possibly worse than before (25th June 2017)
- KUAR: Arkansas Plant Board Approves Dicamba Ban (23rd June 2017)
- Buenos Aires Herald: Campaign against pesticides grows (18th May 2015)
- ScienceDaily: Monarch butterfles: The problem with herbicides (17th May 2017)
- PotatoPro: Dicamba drift a new danger for potato growers (7th May 2017)
- IPR: Monarch butterfly larvae only eat one thing, and it's running low (2nd May 2017)
- The Legal Examiner: Monsanto Influenced EPA On Cancer Risk Research, Roundup Lawsuits Accuse (6th April 2016)
- FGInsight: MEPs slam ECHA's ruling on glyphosate and call on Commission President for a ban (5th April 2017)
- Time: Why Researchers Are Concerned This Pesticide May Cause Cancer (24th March 2017)
- The Huffington Post: USDA Drops Plan to Test for Monsanto Weed Killer in Food (23rd March 2017)
- The Huffington Post: Monsanto Weed Killer Deserves Deeper Scrutiny As Scientific Manipulation Revealed (17th March 2017)
- Bloomberg: EPA Official Accused of Helping Monsanto 'Kill' Cancer Study (15th March 2017)
- The Guardian: No cancer risk to using glyphosate weedkiller, says EU watchdog (15th March 2017)
- Euractiv: Bayer-Monsanto's ugly offspring (15th March 2017)
- ZeroHedge: Monsanto Colluded With EPA, Was Unable To Prove Roundup Does Not Cause Cancer, Unsealed Court Docs Reveal (14th March 2017)
- EcoWatch: California Judge Rules Against Monsanto, Allows Cancer Warning on Roundup (11th March 2017)
- The Independent: EU experts accused of conflict of interest over herbicide linked to cancer (7th March 2017)
- AgWeb: First Signs of Dicamba Resistance? (6th March 2017)
- Lakefield Standard: A shift away from GMO (20th February 2017)
- Missouri Lawyers: Monsanto facing class action suit over dicamba spraying (16th February 2017)
- The Progressive Farmer: Second Dicamba Lawsuit (16th February 2017)
- The Fresno Bee: Fresno judge rejects Monsanto’s bid to block state from listing chemical as cancer causing (27th January 2017)
- St. Louis Post Dispatch: The ever-darkening shadow of Monsanto-fueled superweeds (25th January 2017)
- AgriMarketing: States Begin Restricting Use of Dicamba Herbicides (23rd January 2017)
- The Huffington Post: Monsanto, EPA Seek to Keep Talks About Glyphosate Cancer Review a Secret (18th January 2017)
- The Progressive Farmer: Pests March On: Insect, Weed Resistance Likely to Plague Farmers in 2017 (3rd January 2017)
- The Texas Tribune: Texas winegrowers fear new herbicides will wipe out industry (2nd January 2017)
- St. Louis Post Dispatch: Missouri's largest peach farmer sues Monsanto over alleged damage from illegal herbicide use (7th December 2016)
- New York Times: Doubts About the Promised Bounty of Genetically Modified Crops (29th October 2016)
- Southeast Missourian: EPA probes alleged illegal herbicide use in area (25th October 2016)
- The Hindu: GM mustard is tolerant of herbicides, says geneticist (13th September 2016)
- CJ Online: Herbicide-resistant weeds challenge Kansas farmers' bottom lines (10th September 2016)
- Bloomberg: Monsanto Seeds Unleash Unintended Consequences Across U.S. Farms (1st September 2016)
- Civil Eats: The Root of the Rootworm Problem: What a Tiny Beetle Can Tell Us About Our Broken Agricultural System (25th August 2016)
- BBC: The villagers who fear herbicides (22nd August 2016)
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Illegal herbicide use may threaten survival of Missouri's largest peach farm (14th August 2016)
- Crop Protection News: Monsanto, DuPont enter long-term deal on dicamba (13th August 2016)
- Baum Hedlund Law: Plaintiffs File Motion to Consolidate Roundup Cancer Lawsuits Against Monsanto (3rd August 2016)
- Yahoo News: Monsanto's Superweeds Saga Is Only Getting Worse (3rd August 2016)
- NPR: Crime In The Fields: How Monsanto And Scofflaw Farmers Hurt Soybeans In Arkansas (1st August 2016)
- Arkansas Matters: Working 4 You: Illegal Chemical Use Damages Soybeans, Threat of Spread Outside Ag (1st August 2016)
- Arkansas Online: Monsanto draws state heat over drift (26th July 2016)
- Manitoba Co-Operator: Monsanto aims to give farmers better information in weed resistance fight (18th July 2016)
- The Progressive Farmer: More Herbicide Heartburn (14th July 2016)
- EcoWatch: Roundup Ready GMO Grass Coming to a Lawn Near You? (11th July 2016)
- EcoWatch: Monsanto and DuPont Announce New Weed Killer for GMO Crops (8th July 2016)
- Business Wire: Monsanto and DuPont Sign Dicamba Supply Agreement (7th July 2016)
- National Observer: The Last Roundup: How the world's best-selling pesticide is heading for a fall (4th July 2016)
- AgMag: GMOs Haven’t Cut Weedkiller Use (7th June 2016)
- Feed Navigator: Monsanto soybean strain finds cool welcome from US growers, buyers (17th May 2016)
- AgriLand: France to ban glyphosate - regardless of EU vote this week (18th May 2016)
- WTTW: Save the Monarch Butterfly: Plant Milkweed (12th April 2016)
- Reuters: France to ban some glyphosate weedkillers amid health concerns (8th April 2016)
- KTIC: Dicamba Herbicide Advances as EPA Moves to Public Comment (1st April 2016)
- Oilseed & Grain: Some Midwest Grain Elevators Refusing Dicamba-Tolerant Soybeans (21st March 2016)
- Civil Eats: The Battle Over the Most Used Herbicide Heats Up as Nearly 100 Scientists Weigh In (10th March 2016)
- AgWeek: Glyphosate-resistant Russian thistle found in Montana (4th March 2016)
- The Guardian: EU states rebel against plans to relicense weedkiller glyphosate (4th March 2016)
- CBC: Monarch butterflies make big comeback (1st March 2016)
- Civil Eats: FDA to Start Testing for Glyphosate in Food (17th February 2016)
- EurekAlert: Study: Monsanto's glyphosate now most heavily used weed-killer in history (2nd February 2016)
- Reuters: Monsanto sues to keep herbicide off California list of carcinogens (21st January 2016)
- The Guardian: EU scientists in row over safety of Glyphosate weedkiller (13th January 2016)
- Mongabay: Groups plan to sue U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to protect Monarch butterfly under Endangered Species Act (12th January 2016)
- AlterNet: Exposing the EPA's Dark Side (6th January 2016)
- Civil Eats: Why the EPA Pulled a New Pesticide for GMO Corn and Soy (1st December 2015)
- Deutsche Welle: Independent scientists warn over Monsanto pesticide (1st December 2015)
- Bloomberg: With Dow Pesticide Reversal, EPA Feeling Heat From Courts (30th November 2015)
- Nature: Debate rages over herbicide's cancer risk (13th November 2015)
- The Guardian: EU watchdog opens door to new licence for controversial weedkiller (12th November 2015)
- Reuters: U.S. workers sue Monsanto claiming herbicide caused cancer (29th September 2015)
- AgProfessional: Why are there so many pigweeds in soybeans this year? (21st September 2015)
- Chemical and Engineering News: Rocky Road For Roundup (21st September 2015)
- Tri-State Neighbour: Farm Bureau: Butterfly protection plan could affect herbicide use (14th August 2015)
- Harper's Magazine: Weed Whackers (September 2015 issue)
- Science: Monarch butterfly studies tell a perplexing tale (5th August 2015)
- Grand Forks Herald: Herbicide-resistant weed jumps 60 miles in a year (4th August 2015)
- Huffington Post: How to Cover Up the Pesticide Industry's GMO Scheme and New 2,4 D 'Agent Orange' Crops (4th August 2015)
- CountryGuide: Herbicide resistance, selection pressure, reducing options for weed control (17th July 2015)
- The Ecologist: GMO study finds 'indications of harmful and adverse effects' (15th July 2015)
- The Guardian: Weedkiller suspected of causing cancer deemed 'safe' (15th July 2015)
- Daily News: Glyphosate days are numbered? (14th July 2015)
- Insurge Intelligence: No scientific evidence of GM food safety (13th July 2015)
- Summit County Voice: Environment: EPA finally agrees to study impacts of common pesticides on 1,500 endangered species (28th June 2015)
- Yahoo Finance: Monsanto to invest more than USD1 bln in dicamba herbicide production (24th June 2015)
- Des Moines Register: Will superweeds, regulation create a perfect storm in Iowa farmlands? (1st May 2015)
- Examiner: Monsanto sued in Los Angeles County for false advertising (21st April 2015)
- Associated Press: Environmentalists contest broadened use of new herbicide (20th April 2015)
- Reuters: Chinese citizens sue government over transparency on Monsanto herbicide (8th April 2015)
- Tuoi Tre News: Vietnam licenses genetically modified corn amid scientists' concerns (4th April 2015)
- Reuters: Fateful Harvest: Why Brazil has a big appetite for risky pesticides (2nd April 2015)
- Time: Watch a Monsanto Lobbyist Claim a Weed Killer Is Safe to Drink but Then Refuse to Drink It (27th March 2015)
- Reuters: Scientist defends WHO group report linking herbicide to cancer (26th March 2015)
- The Guardian: Common pesticides linked to antibiotic resistance (24th March 2015)
- Fox News: Monsanto weed killer can 'probably' cause cancer, WHO says (23rd March 2015)
- The Telegraph: Weedkiller alert over cancer link (21st March 2015)
- South East Farm Press: Conservation tillage systems threatened by herbicide-resistant weeds (11th March 2015)
-
RBA: CTNBio adia liberacao do eucalipto, mas aprova novos milhos transgenicos [In Portguese] (6th March 2015)
Brazilian regulators delay a decision on GM trees but approve Dow's 2,4-D resistant maize, and Monsanto's maize resistant to glufosinate and glyphosate.
- Business Times: NRDC sues US EPA over monarch butterfly demise (28th February 2015)
- Associated Press: Crop herbicides play a role in shrinking monarch population (28th February 2015)
- Reuters: Monsanto says GM corn trial in final stage in India (27th February 2015)
- Organic Connections: More Farmers Predicted to Go Non-GMO and Organic in 2015 (February 2015)
- The Conversation: Why Monarch butterflies need a helping hand (19th February 2015)
- Triple Pundit: Coalition Files Lawsuit to Stay EPA Decision on New Herbicide Combo (17th February 2015)
- The Washington Post: The monarch massacre: Nearly a billion butterflies have vanished (9th February 2015)
- The Des Moines Register: Lawsuit: EPA violated law in approving Dow herbicide (9th February 2015)
- Delta Farm Press: USDA announces deregulation of dicamba-tolerant trait in cotton and soybeans (18th January 2015)
- Reuters: USDA approves Monsanto's new GMO soybeans, cotton (15th January 2015)
- AgroNews: New glyphosate-resistant weed is detected in Argentina (26th November 2014)
- Houston Chronicle: Farmers' war on weeds threatens neighboring vineyards (23rd November 2014)
- PBS: Field of weeds: Could agriculture crisis crop up from herbicide resistance? (15th November 2014)
- Reuters: Dow AgroSciences limits sales of GMO soy, corn on China worries (12th November 2014)
- The Ecologist: New seeds, old pesticides - 2,4-D and 'next generation' GMOs (27th October 2014)
- The Journal Star: Robert Kennedy Jr.: The vanishing monarch butterfly (24th October 2014)
- Reuters: Critics of Dow herbicide ingredient sue U.S. EPA over approval (22nd October 2014)
- Mother Jones: The Feds Just Approved a New GMO Corn. Here's Why I'm Not Rejoicing (15th October 2014)
- Scientific American: EPA Approves Dow's Enlist Herbicide for GMOs (15th October 2014)
- Examiner: New study shows honeybees harmed by herbicide used on GMO crops (15th October 2014)
- LA Times: Escalating the weed wars (29th September 2014)
- Wired: New Generation of GM Crops Puts Agriculture in a 'Crisis Situation' (25th September 2014)
- AP: USDA Approves New Modified Corn, Soybean Seeds (17th September 2014)
- MongaBay.com: 'Canary in the cornfield': monarch butterfly may get threatened species status (8th September 2014)
- Newsweek: Monarch Butterflies Have Declined 90 percent; Conservationists Seek Extra Protection (27th August 2014)
- Delaware Online: Threatened status sought for monarch butterfly (26th August 2014)
- The Pump Handle: New herbicide and GE seeds: EPA and USDA poised to approve herbicide with insufficiently unexamined cumulative and long-term health effects (20th August 2014)
- National Geographic: Monarch Butterfly's Reign Threatened by Milkweed Decline (19th August 2014)
- New York Times: Invader Batters Rural America, Shrugging Off Herbicides (11th August 2014)
- Star Tribune: 'Superweeds' emerge to challenge farmers (2nd August 2014)
- TeleSur: 175 Paraguayan Farmers Poisoned by Fumigations (27th July 2014)
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Midwestern farmers wage war against 'superweeds' (13th July 2014)
- The Ecologist: Scientists write: EPA, ban 'agent orange' herbicide mix and GMO crops! (3rd July 2014)
- Huffington Post: Federal Support For Potent New Weedkiller Raises Fears About Children's Health (3rd July 2014)
- ABC: Glyphosate poisoning killing SA canola crops (3rd July 2014)
- Wired: The Next Generation of GM Crops Has Arrived - And So Has the Controversy (24th June 2014)
- Wall Street Journal: Texas Tries Last-Ditch Attack on Super Weed (19th June 2014)
- Grist: GMO giants' pesticide use threatens rare Hawaiian species (17th June 2014)
- Bloomberg: BASF to Boost Dicamba Output 50 percent for New Monsanto Crops (12th June 2014)
- Nature: A growing problem (11th June 2014)
- The Conversation: Iconic monarch butterflies are under threat from pesticides (5th June 2014)
- Salon: Monsanto vs. the monarchs: The fight to save the world's most stunning butterfly migration (1st June 2014)
- Bloomberg: GMO's Are in Trouble, Failing in Field: Pollan (14th May 2014)
- Reuters: Dow making limited rollout of new Enlist GMO corn in Canada (9th May 2014)
- The Ecologist: Coming to your table? GMO crops resistant to 'war herbicide' 2,4D (8th May 2014)
- BBC: Argentina: GMs' New Frontline (8th May 2014)
- Corporate Crime Reporter: BBC Reports on Argentina's Soy Boom, Monsanto and Birth Defects (8th May 2014)
- Minnesota Farm Guide: Conventional soybean seed has a bigger place in 2014 (5th May 2014)
- Inquistr: EPA To Approve Another Herbicide For GM Crops; Seeks Public Comments Regarding Dow's 'Enlist Duo' (4th May 2014)
- Mail Tribune: Scientists find multiple problems with GMOs (13th April 2014)
- TruthOut: How ''Extreme Levels'' of Monsanto's Herbicide Roundup in Food Became the Industry Norm (26th March 2014)
- La Junta: Farmers warn of threats to economics posed by genetically engineered crops (17th March 2014)
- Reuters: Group seeks court order on USDA over genetically modified alfalfa (13th March 2014)
- USA Today: Monsanto in dispute with veggie farmers over herbicide (13th March 2014)
- Reuters: As Dow seeks growth, new Enlist crop/chemicals seen as key (10th March 2014)
- BBC: Fears for Mexico's butterfly population (19th February 2014)
- Huffington Post: Meet the New Monsanto: Dow Chemical... and Their New 'Agent Orange' Crops (18th February 2014)
- Dallas News: Climate change, weed killers treacherous for Texas monarchs (12th February 2014)
- The World Post: Last Call For Monarchs (7th February 2014)
- Mail Tribune: The weed resistance crisis in American GMO agriculture (2nd February 2014)
- MongaBay.com: Migrating monarch butterflies hit shockingly low numbers (31st January 2014)
- RT: Monsanto blamed for disappearance of monarch butterflies (31st January 2014)
- News 24: Monarch butterflies drop, migration waning (30th January 2014)
- Mother Earth News: Take This Chance to Speak Up on Genetically Modified Crops and 2,4-D Herbicide (29th January 2014)
- The Guardian: Monarch butterfly numbers drop to lowest level since records started (29th January 2014)
- AP: Monarch butterflies drop, migration may disappear (29th January 2014)
- Off the Grid News: Farmers Abandoning GMO Seeds And The Reason Will Surprise You (4th January 2014)
-
AP: Government might deregulate corn, soybean seeds (3rd January 2014)
Reports plans to allow commercial plantings of GM crops resistant to the weedkiller 2,4-D in the USA.
- Huffington Post: USDA May Deregulate Corn And Soybean Seeds Able To Withstand Weed Killer Used In Agent Orange (3rd January 2014)
- The Ecologist: 'Harmful' weedkiller in your bread and cereal bars (31st December 2013)
- Daily Mail: How Frankenstein 'superweeds' have swamped 60 MILLION acres of US farmland - and can't be killed (11th December 2013)
- Modern Farmer: The post-GMO economy (6th December 2013)
- AgProfessional: BASF survey shows majority face glyphosate-resistant weeds (4th December 2013)
- New York Times: The Year the Monarch Didn't Appear (22nd November 2013)
- GreenMedInfo: How Roundup Weedkiller Can Promote Cancer, New Study Reveals (11th November 2013)
- Agri.eu: Commission considers backing new GM crop despite gaps in its safety testing (31st October 2013)
- Mother Jones: Argentina Is Using More Pesticide Than Ever Before. And Now It Has Cancer Clusters. (23rd October 2013)
- Associated Press: Birth defects, cancer in Argentina linked to agrochemicals: AP investigation (20th October 2013)
- Seattle Times: Track record mixed for GE crops (19th October 2013)
- Globo: Transgenicos: Ministerio Publico pede a CTNBio que suspenda liberacoes [In Portuguese] (2nd October 2013)
- The Ecologist: Are you eating 'pesticide plants'? (12th September 2013)
- Scottish Farmer: GM - the next generation (10th September 2013)
- Pagina 12: Una ONG ambientalista objeta una nueva semilla [In Spanish] (5th September 2013)
- Wired.co.uk: Study: weeds get unintended 'fitness' boost from genetic modification (19th August 2013)
- Nature: Genetically modified crops pass benefits to weeds (16th August 2013)
- RT: Another win for Monsanto: US raises allowable levels of company's pesticide in crops (23rd July 2013)
- St. Louis Post Dispatch: Some farmers want more scrutiny of new Monsanto crops (18th July 2013)
- The Gazette: Herbicide-resistant weeds gaining ground in Iowa (4th July 2013)
- Forbes: GMO Crops Mean More Herbicide, Not Less (2nd July 2013)
- IPS: U.S. Weighing Increase in Herbicide Levels in Food Supply (2nd July 2013)
- China Digital Times: Soybean Imports Revive Fears About GM Food (24th June 2013)
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AgriPulse: USDA extends comment period for GE crops (10th June 2013)
Reports that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has extended the public comment periods for certain herbicide resistant crops developed by Dow AgroSciences and Monsanto to 17th July 2013. Online public meetings are also proposed to consider the crops genetically engineered to be resistant to the herbicides known as 2,4-D and dicamba.
- ABC News: Glyphosate resistance on the rise in Australia (15th May 2013)
- The Guardian: Tracking the causes of monarch butterfly decline (18th April 2013)
- Mother Jones: Monsanto Claims to Ditch Herbicide While Selling More of It (10th April 2013)
- Huffington Post: My War Against GM Crops (24th March 2013)
- Farmers Weekly: US farmers may stop planting GMs after poor global yields (6th February 2013)
- UPI: Resistant weeds said threat to U.S. crops (4th February 2013)
- Farm Industry News: Glyphosate-resistant weed problem extends to more species, more farms (29th January 2013)
- Agriculture.com: New GM corn delayed until 2014 (18th January 2013)
- Reuters: UPDATE 1-Dow's controversial new GMO corn delayed amid protests (18th January 2013)
- The Western Producer: Scientist raises concerns about GM crops and glyphosate (21st December 2012)
- Mother Jones: Meet the Weeds That Monsanto Can't Beat (20th December 2012)
- GRTV: Farmer to Farmer: The Truth About GM Crops (17th December 2012)
- New York Times: Pesticides: Now More Than Ever (11th December 2012)
- The Guardian: European Commission could open GM pandora's box (7th November 2012)
- Guardian: How GMOs unleashed a pesticide gusher (3rd October 2012)
- Independent Science News: Seralini and Science: an Open Letter (2nd October 2012)
- Reuters: Pesticide use ramping up as GMO crop technology backfires: study (1st October 2012)
- Daily Mail: Russia suspends import and use of American GM corn after study revealed cancer risk (29th September 2012)
- The Guardian: Study linking GM maize to cancer must be taken seriously by regulators (28th September 2012)
- The Telegraph: GM crop enquiry launched by French government (19th September 2012)
- BBC News: Agent Orange chemical in GM war on resistant weeds (19th September 2012)
- The Grocer: Monsanto Roundup weedkiller and GM maize implicated in 'shocking' new cancer study (19th September 2012)
- Deutsche Welle: Soy production endangers Argentina (3rd September 2012)
- IOL News: Controversial GM mielies get green light (24th July 2012)
- The Grower: Glyphosate-resistant weeds also may be disease resistant (18th July 2012)
- Mother Jones: USDA Prepares to Green-Light Gnarliest GMO Soy Yet (18th July 2012)
- Science News: Glyphosate-Resistant 'Superweeds' May Be Less Susceptible to Diseases (17th July 2012)
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Reuters: US House biotech proposal would bypass courts - critic (5th June 2012)
Reports plans to re-start plantings of GM sugar beet in the US, while court cases are ongoing.
- Nature: War on weeds loses ground (22nd May 2012)
- Daily News Tanzania: Superweeds caused by GMO are super problems (20th May 2012)
- Superweeds: A Long-Predicted Problem for GM Crops Has Arrived (15th May 2012)
- Ottawa Citizen: Reaping what we sow (12th May 2012)
- Reuters: Super weeds no easy fix for US agriculture-experts (10th May 2012)
- San Francisco Chronicle: Genetically modified crops' results raise concern (30th April 2012)
- Farmers Weekly: US growers petition government over GM crops (25th April 2012)
- New York Times: A Battle Over an Engineered Crop (25th April 2012)
- Reuters: Analysis - Dow's new corn - "time bomb" or farmers' dream?
- Delaware Online: As Roundup's effect fades, farming costs rise (17th April 2012)
- Summit Voice: Popular weedkiller causes deformities in amphibians (3rd April 2012)
- StarTribune: Study ties GMO corn, soybeans to butterfly losses (16th March 2012)
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Mother Jones: How NPR Got It Wrong on Monsanto's Superweeds (14th March 2012)
Includes some history on how Monsanto's RoundUp Ready trait was discovered.
- Penn State Live: Integrated weed management best response to herbicide resistance (9th February 2012)
- Bloomberg: Monsanto Says Weedkiller-Resistant Kochia Found in Western Canadian Fields (12th January 2012)
- Farmers Weekly: Resistance to Roundup is increasing (7th November 2011)
- Forbes India Magazine: Bt Brinjal and India's Wake-up Call (20th October 2011)
- ArabNews.com: Super weeds pose growing threat to US crops (19th September 2011)
- Wallaces Farmer (USA): Glyphosate-Resistant Weeds Are Huge Challenge (9th August 2011)
- St Louis Today: Resistant weeds leave farmers desperate (17th July 2011)
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New York Times: In Midwest, Flutters May Be Far Fewer (11th July 2011)
Reports that the growing use of herbicide-tolerant genetically modified crops is threatening the monarch butterfly by destroying the milkweed on which it lays its eggs.
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The Guardian: Global food crisis: the speculators playing with our daily bread (2nd June 2011)
Dan Basse, president of AgResource (Chicago) tells the Guardian that the promise that biotech seeds would deliver big increases in yields has turned out to be illusory. He also fears that "superweeds are coming on so fast with GM that US farmers are going to have to go back to more traditional cultivation methods [as opposed to the practice with GM seeds of not tilling the soil and simply spraying to control pests] - but they don't have the capacity to do that."
- The Telegraph: GM soy: the high cost of the quest for 'green gold' (17th May 2011)
- Non-GMO Report: Scientist finding many negative impacts of Roundup Ready GM crops (
- Wall Street Journal: Superweed Outbreak Triggers Arms Race (4th June 2010)
- Press releases
- GeneWatch UK PR: EU approval of new GM crop for import condemned for increasing use of toxic weedkiller 24th April 2015
- GeneWatch UK PR: Second-generation GM crops: an environmental disaster 15th October 2014
- GeneWatch UK PR: Supermarkets must wake up to environmental harm caused by imported GM feed 26th August 2014
- Des Moines Register: Don't repeat mistakes that led to Superweeds (28th June 2014)
- GeneWatch UK PR: Supermarkets must stop harm to Monarch Butterfly, end GM animal feed use 30th January 2014
- Testbiotech, GeneWatch UK and the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) PR: Stop risky herbicide 2,4-D (27th January 2014) 27th January 2014
- GeneWatch UK PR: Second generation of GM crops resistant to more toxic weedkillers expose industry's diversionary PR strategy 29th August 2013
- GeneWatch briefings
- External links
- Center for Food Safety: Farmworkers and Conservationists Ask Court to Remove Monsanto's Roundup from the Market (18th December 2020)
- CFS: Farmworkers and Conservationists Sue EPA for Re-Approving Monsanto Cancer-Causing Pesticide (20th March 2020)
- Center for Food Safety: Eastern Monarch Butterfly Population Decreases by More than Half (13th March 2020)
- CBAN: Call to Re-think Genetically Engineered Herbicide-Tolerant Crops (22nd August 2019)
- NRDC: Regulatory Failures = Superweeds and Glyphosate Cancers (11th April 2019)
- TestBiotech: Stop the import approval for new toxic soy! (October 2017)
- National Famly Farm Coalition: Farmers & Farm Organizations Urge EPA & USDA to Address Threat from Dicamba Pesticide Drift (5th September 2017)
- As You Sow: Roundup Revealed: Glyphosate in our Food System (July 2017)
- California Government (OEHHA): Glyphosate Listed Effective July 7, 2017, as Known to the State of California to Cause Cancer (26th June 2017)
- Union of Concerned Scientists: Monsanto’s Four Tactics for Undermining Glyphosate Science Review (23rd March 2017)
- US Right to Know: MDL Monsanto Glyphosate Cancer Case Key Documents & Analysis (14th March 2017)
- Center for Food Safety: Monarch Butterfly Population Drops By Nearly One-Third (9th February 2017)
- Center for Biological Diversity: EPA Approves Use of Dangerous Herbicide Dicamba on GE Crops (9th November 2016)
- Civil Eats: More Evidence that Monarch Butterflies Should be Listed as Endangered (4th April 2016)
- Center for Food Safety: Monarchs Are Not on the Road to Recovery (30th March 2016)
- nvironmetal Working Group: EPA Watchdog to Investigate Monsanto GMOs and Superweeds (28th March 2016)
- European Parliament: Glyphosate herbicide: don’t renew its authorisation, urge MEPs (22nd March 2016)
- Greenpeace: Glyphosate licence renewal suspended in light of health concerns (8th March 2016)
- Corporate Europe Observatory: Key evidence withheld as 'trade secret' in EU's controversial risk assessment of glyphosate (17th February 2016)
- ANSES's Opinion on the carcinogenic nature of glyphosate for humans (12th February 2016)
- European Parliament: MEPs object to three GM soybean authorisations (3rd February 2016)
- European Parliament resolution of 16 December 2015 on Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/2279 of 4 December 2015 authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of, or produced from genetically modified maize NK603 × T25
- GM Watch: Brazil National Cancer Institute report on GM crops available in English (3rd September 2015)
- ACB, TWN, RALLT: What next after a ban on glyphosate - more toxic chemicals and GM crops? (June 2015)
- PAN: Coalition Challenges Expansion of Hazardous Herbicide EPA allows nine additional states to use toxic 2,4-D on GE corn and soy crops (20th April 2015)
- TestBiotech: Does glyphosate cause cancer? Important gap in German risk assessment (15th April 2015)
- IARC Monographs Volume 112: evaluation of five organophosphate insecticides and herbicides (20th March 2015)
- US Congress: Letter to the President re Monarch butterflies (13th March 2015)
- Center for Food Safety: Monarchs in Peril: Herbicide-Resistant Crops and the Decline of Monarch Butterflies in North America (5th February 2015)
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Tappeser et al. (2014) Agronomic and environmental aspects of the cultivation of genetically modified herbicide-resistant plants
A joint paper of BfN (Germany), FOEN (Switzerland) and EAA (Austria)
- Seidler (2014): PESTICIDE USE ON GENETICALLY ENGINEERED CROPS
- Norwegian Biotechnology Advisory Board: Herbicide-resistant genetically modified plants and sustainability (14th September 2014)
- PAN North America: "RoundUp Ready" nears end of the line... (7th July 2014)
- BfN (2014) Agronomic and environmental aspects of the cultivation of genetically modified herbicide-resistant plants.
- RALLT, African Centre for Biosafety, Third World Network (2014) Open letter to the UN Re: Impact of GM herbicide-resistant crops on the right to food (April 2014)
- NDRC: Monarch butterfly population hits a new low (29th January 2014)
- WWF: Monarch Population Hits Lowest Point in More Than 20 Years (29th January 2014)
- Center for Food Safety: New report shows record decline in Monarch Butterflies: Monsanto a major culprit (29th January 2014)
- Union of Concerned Scientists: Fait Accompli - USDA Decision on Herbicide-Resistant Crops Betrays Farmers and the Public (8th January 2014)
- Center for Food Safety: "Agent Orange" Crops Would Trigger Massive Increase in Use of Toxic Pesticide 2,4-D (3rd January 2014)
- Union of Concerned Scientists: The Rise of Superweeds - and What to Do About It (December 2013)
- Michigan State University: 2,4-D and dicamba-resistant crops and their implications for susceptible non-target crops (7th November 2013)
- 2,4-D and dicamba-resistant crops and their implications for susceptible non-target crops (7th November 2013)
- TestBiotech: High levels of residues from spraying with glyphosate found in soybeans in Argentina (22nd October 2013)
- Testbiotech: Spraying with glyphosate leaves high levels of residue in soybeans (22nd October 2013)
- Center for Food Safety: New Genetically Engineered (GE) Crop Will Sharply Increase Use of Toxic Pesticide, a "Probable Human Carcinogen" (29th August 2013)
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Food and Water Watch: Genetically Engineered Foods
Includes a cartoon explaining the rise of superweeds and impacts on Monarch butterflies.
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Gaban BL (2013) Comparison of Roundup Ready and Conventional Soybean (Glycine Max L.) Weed Control Systems for Optimizing Yield and Economic Profitability (May 2013)
Finds no significant difference in yield between RoundUpready (glyphosate-resistant) soybeans and conventional soybeans.
- Save our Crops Coalition: SOCC Opposes New Uses of Dicamba and Residue Tolerances for Monsanto's Dicamba Tolerant Crops (17th January 2013)
- CRIIGEN: Long-term toxicity study of GM herbicide-tolerant maize (September 2012)
- Genok: Report: Soybean Production in the Southern Cone of the Americas: Update on Land and Pesticide Use (July 2012)
- Rabo AgFocus: Nature Finds a Way: The Rising Cost of Herbicide Resistant Weeds in the U.S. (June 2012)
- PAN: Dow and Monsanto in deadly race on the pesticide treadmill (11th January 2012)
- GM Crops Farmer to Farmer (video) (14th June 2011)
- Friends of the Earth Europe: Herbicide resistant crops