Glyphosate in livestock/humans

[permapen]

Can I get the temperature from you folk on glyphosate - its effects on livestock and humans, directly and down the food chain? Where do you stand on this?

 

[shakerator]

Can I get the temperature from you folk on glyphosate - its effects on livestock and humans, directly and down the food chain? Where do you stand on this?

It is the most studied pesticide so you have to take that in context when comparing to alternatives. Of course we would love to use no herbicide and no tillage with fluid crop/ livestock systems and a roller crimper with intercropping and perrenials that paid the bills.

I can live with glyphosate in my food, in fact the recent EFSA conclusion was that the wetters were far more toxic than the A.I.

But I respect the caution on desiccant use on milling wheat

 

[Richard III]

Unfortunately, I think some people are trying to pick on glyphosate as a way of attacking Monsanto and G.M. foods. Personally I don't like Roundup Ready technology, it only drives herbicide resistance and over use of an important herbicide.

I think many of the chemicals we use could be having unintended consequences in the soil and glyphosate is possibly one, as a farmer this does concern me. I am less worried about the levels of glyphosate in livestock or human food.

There is far more wrong with the average persons diet these days than trace levels of glyphosate IMO and as for how badly some of the livestock is fed in america is simply incredible.

 

[Kidds]

My view on glyphosate is that it is a good chemical when used appropriately. It is a weedkiller and should be used as such, not something that can be sprayed onto anything that is going to be eaten. That could be grass for cows or grain for milling.

I believe there is a great fashion amongst the modern folk, that have never experienced shortages never mind hunger, to demonise big companies. In this case Monsanto, who in my opinion are no saints by any means but nor are they the devil himself.

Finally I very much expect glyphosate to go out of use in the near future for no other reason than target weeds becoming resistant to it. This is already starting in Australia and the more it is used the more likely you will get resistance. Not unique to glyphosate, many herbicides have gone this way (simazine is a good example, removed due to presence in water but already becoming of limited use due to resistance).
When you think of all the millions/billions/trillions of weed seedlings out there it doesn't take much of a (natural) mutation to create a resistant plant

 

[SimonD]

No problem with it, serves a purpose when used correctly. The people who are making sounds to remove it are the associations who gain through its removal and requiring full inversion to bury trash. Seed treatment will be next on their target list.

 

[bobk]

I must have drunk gallons of the stuff, and I'm fine

 

[glasshouse]

Can I get the temperature from you folk on glyphosate - its effects on livestock and humans, directly and down the food chain? Where do you stand on this?

Glyphosate is responsible for massive depopulation of farmers worldwide since its introduction as it has made their cultivation and weed control skills obsolete.
For now.

 

[kernowcluck]

For now but ..

 

[York]

Glyphosate is responsible for massive depopulation of farmers worldwide since its introduction as it has made their cultivation and weed control skills obsolete.
For now.

one of the foundations for Inc. farming.
there are "rumours", haven't found a study jet, that if we get one more year of low prices +2/3 of US farmers are broke.
Just look at the financial situation of one of the largest Case dealers, http://www.titanmachinery.com/ or even Case / NH.
Rumours are that Kubota is waiting for the right moment.
There is a saying: "Watch out at general economics, when farmers are making no money!".
York-Th.

 

[Generally01]

I personally think that chemical farming is the reason you have no more kids wanting to grow up to be farmers (approx 80% of American farmers are over 60 yrs old or older). The reason is the machinery is expensive and to even be considered a farmer you have to do 1000+ acres. How does this look to someone in highschool ? impossible! I am only 16 so i should know how it looks to consider getting into the conventional agriculture system.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

It was originally patented as an antimicrobial. It works by disrupting the Shikimate Pathway https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shikimate_pathway The chemical companies claim that it's safe for humans as we do not exhibit the Shikimate Pathway but our gut microbes (amongst others) do and play a huge role in our health.

I have used it many times in the past but avoid it now.

 

[Blaithin]

I’m not sure it’s a large concern in most livestock. The issues would arise from bio amplification and extended exposure for extended digestive upset. Most livestock fed heavy grains are terminal anyway. It could be a driver towards more grass based genetics in breeding stock but even if it’s not, breeding stock isn’t generally consistently grained. Even if their gut biome is upset for periods, summer grazing with no grain inputs would almost surely allow the biome to rebalance. Dairy animals ould be a good indicator as they do tend to have consistent grain inputs with little breaks.

In people it could be more concerning as the potential is there for it to be in many food sources that people don’t take breaks from to heal their gut biome. Part of this is linked to the incredibly terrible diets people tend to eat. Improvements could be had for many reasons.

Similarly it is most likely amplifying within the environment. Large lakes here are dying because so much fertilizer has leeched into them. When they are the drains of such large land areas they are vulnerable to such leeching. The current poor state of them could easily be hiding how severely herbicides are harming ecosystems as well. Not just glyphosate as others are used almost equally as much.

 

[Fenwick]

thé things about glypho, is that it causes a lot of harm to various lifeforms in a way we understand. But it also, more worryingly it causes harm in a way we don't understand.

Bésides, (and more importantly) we can farm without it.

 

[Hilly]

thé things about glypho, is that it causes a lot of harm to various lifeforms in a way we understand. But it also, more worryingly it causes harm in a way we don't understand.

Bésides, (and more importantly) we can farm without it.

How do you know ? You can’t farm without it ffs your not worthy of the title farmer if you can’t farm without it .

 

[Will Blackburn]

thé things about glypho, is that it causes a lot of harm to various lifeforms in a way we understand. But it also, more worryingly it causes harm in a way we don't understand.

Bésides, (and more importantly) we can farm without it.

We can’t farm without soil.

 

[Fenwick]

How do you know ? You can’t farm without it ffs your not worthy of the title farmer if you can’t farm without it .

i won't have a go at thé boys who use it. I understand why they do.

But we manage fine without it.

 

[Fenwick]

We can’t farm without soil.

sure

 

[glasshouse]

i won't have a go at thé boys who use it. I understand why they do.

But we manage fine without it.

Roundup just covers up bad farming

 

[farmerm]

Roundup just covers up bad farming

By that logic so does the use of any herbicide, or fungicide or bagged fertiliser or worm drench or bought in feed. What is good and what is bad farming? If an area of land is farmed in such a way that it can support those working on it and uses no external inputs and has no environmental consequences but also fails to provide any exportable food to feed wider society is that good farming?

 

[Hilly]

Roundup just covers up bad farming

It’s a useful tool but should not be abused nor relied upon if in situation can’t farm without it drastic changes need to happen because it’s going due to abusers.