Hiding the Birth Defect Lie: Monsanto Minimizes RoundUp Chemical’s Nefarious Effects Through Shoddy Science

This article was published at NationofChange at: http://www.nationofchange.org/hiding-birth-defect-lie-monsanto-minimizes-roundup-chemical-s-nefarious-effects-through-shoddy-scien. All rights are reserved. 

 Hiding the Birth Defect Lie: Monsanto Minimizes RoundUp Chemical’s Nefarious Effects Through Shoddy Science

By Christina Sarich

There are hundreds of scientists who continue to claim that GMO crops are harmless and that we in the ‘organic farming and sustainable food supply’ camp are crazy. We’d have to be to keep believing the lies that Monsanto has so cleverly hidden in their slapdash scientific experiments. Some people say they have only gone anti-GMO due to social pressure, not real science, but is this really the case? While refusing all technology whatsoever is not what anti-GMO activists usually desire, they do want more strenuous testing of GMO seed due to the multiple studies that have already shown that genetically modified organisms are causing disease in humans and eradicating bee and monarch colonies.
In a scientific review by Germany's Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (German acronym of BVL), which was tasked by the European Union's Commission to review research on glyphosate (brand name Roundup) we can see quite clearly that GMO crops are anything but ‘safe’. The review found multiple cases of prominent birth defects linked directly to glyphosate, and accused Monsanto ‘science’ of misleading the public about the true dangers of GMO seed. The study was published by Earth Open Sources, which uses open source collaboration to try to advance sustainable food production practices. You can download a peer-reviewed version of the report here. This version states:

“. . . glyphosate herbicide formulation and glyphosate alone caused malformations in the embryos of Xenopus laevis and chickens through the disruption of the retinoic acid signaling pathway. . .the production and consumption of RoundUp Ready chemicals (primarily soy) which is engineered to tolerate applications of glyphosate herbicide indicates teratogenic (an agent that causes the malformation of an embryo) and reproductive effects form herbicide exposure.”

The German Federal Office for Protection and Food Safety pointed out that the studies saying glyphosate was ‘safe’ were unpublished industry-sponsored studies commissioned by the companies that stood to gain from saying RoundUp was safe, i.e. Monsanto. They even said that glyphosate was not a teratogen not a reproductive toxin, but numerous other studies have found this to be erroneous. The reviewed article also points out that the studies which have shown the teratogenicity of glyphosate were minimized.
Don’t just take my word for it. Heidi Stevenson of GaiaHealth.com has also painstakingly gathered a list of peer-reviewed documents that prove how Monsanto has lied to us about the extensive list of birth defects that RoundUp chemicals cause. Just some of these birth defects include:

·     A dilated heart

·     Major visceral malformations

·     An extra 13^th rib

·     Embryonic death

·     Lung malformation

·     Absent kidneys

·     Distortion of thoracic ribs, and more.

It is clear that Monsanto has not done its due diligence, and may even have knowingly hid the truth about just how deadly Round Up chemicals truly are. More transparent studies that are not industry-sponsored are clearly needed to put this debate to rest.
This article was published at NationofChange at: http://www.nationofchange.org/hiding-birth-defect-lie-monsanto-minimizes-roundup-chemical-s-nefarious-effects-through-shoddy-scien. All rights are reserved.