The Shocking Story Of Transgenic Crops In Argentina

The Shocking Story Of Transgenic Crops In Argentina. Graphic © herbshealthhappiness.com. Photo – Pexels (PD)

In Argentina, both humans and livestock are suffering the consequences of herbicide exposure – in a serious and tragic scenario that has received too little press coverage. Genetic malformations and disease run rampant across the country; congenitally deformed children and rapidly dying livestock are the result of dangerous herbicides sprayed on genetically engineered crops in Argentina – despite claims made by manufacturers saying otherwise. ^[1]

According to the Library of Congress, Argentina is the “third largest grower of biotech crops in the world“, right next the United States and Brazil. The LOC reports that Argentina was one of the first countries in the world to use genetically modified crops, specifically in 1996 with the introduction of genetically modified soybean plants that didn’t die when sprayed with the herbicide, glyphosate. If glyphosate sounds familiar to you, it’s because it’s currently being sold on the market as Roundup, a herbicide manufactured by Monsanto. ^[2]

Monsanto doesn’t have a squeaky clean image when it comes to safe agricultural products. In fact, if you’ve brushed up on your history, you will discover that Monsanto was one of the manufacturers of Agent Orange, a deadly herbicide used during the Vietnam War that has been discovered to cause various cancers such as: soft tissue sarcoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, lung cancer, prostate cancer, multiple myelomas, bladder cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, brain cancer, and breast cancer. The American Cancer Society reports links to these cancers and the dangerous dioxins found in Agent Orange, though not all results were seen in people exposed to the herbicide during the Vietnam War. ^[3]

Transgenic Wars, a French investigative film by Paul Moreira, exposes the reality of raising transgenic crops in Argentina. Not only has it affected the livelihood of Argentinian farmers (transgenic crops require a reduced amount of manpower to manage them, hence many Argentinians losing their jobs), it may also be costing them their lives. Moreira visited Avia Terai, a rural village smack-dab in the middle of fields of GE crops. The local doctors report numerous children are born with congenital diseases that they attribute to herbicide exposure. This was covered in a BBC news report in 2014, with a leading scientist in Argentina, Dr. Carrasco, reporting congenital deformities in an experimental study he conducted with Monsanto’s glyphosate and chicken and frog embryos. Dr. Carrasco notes that the congenital deformities were very similar to the congenital deformities in children born in places surrounded by GE crops. ^[4]

Livestock are likewise affected. Moreira’s film also reported the effects of GE soy products eaten by pigs in a Danish farm. Pig breeders reported an illness they called “the yellow death”, wherein piglets suffered from severe diarrhea and eventually died – 30 percent of the piglets born each year were affected. Pigs in the farm were being fed GE soy and once the farmer cut out the GE soy from his pigs’ diet, he noticed the sudden stop in diarrhea among his animals. The farmer, Ib Pedersen, reports that his GE soy came from Argentina and that moment he stopped feeding his livestock with it, “the yellow death” stopped.

Moreira’s film raises many questions about the safety of herbicides used on crops sold in America and all over the world each year. While there isn’t a definite answer regarding the role of herbicides in disease-stricken Argentina, we can’t be sure that it isn’t the cause either; not yet. With Argentinian farmers adding more chemicals and mixing together different herbicides to fend off weeds that are resistant to glyphosate, it is becoming harder and harder to pinpoint what exactly is causing Argentinian children to become sick. The real question now is, how do we stop it?

Here’s the trailer from the documentary film:

Further Reading:

Liver Cancer Deaths Are Skyrocketing As Food Becomes Increasingly TOXIC Due To Pesticides And Herbicides

Fears As 93% Of Americans Tested Positive For Glyphosate And Children Found To Have The Highest Levels

California’s Decision To List Glyphosate As Cancer-Causing Upheld By Courts

Pay Up! Monsanto Found Guilty of Chemical Poisoning In France

Monsanto Is Suing California For Stating That Roundup Causes Cancer