Originally published November 26 2014
Monsanto pushes farmers to grow bee-killing soybeans
by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Despite an ever-growing sales volume year after year, Monsanto's genetically-modified (GM) soybeans aren't helping farmers produce greater yields, nor are they helping the planet. The transgenic crop, which is heavily doused in neonicotinoid pesticides, is a leading cause of the bee death phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder (CCD), which means it is also a significant threat to the entire food supply.
Without bees, 80 percent of all flowering plants and more than 75 percent of all the fruits, nuts, and vegetables grown for human consumption would cease to exist. Honeybees are a primary pollinator, as it turns out and without them, we would all likely starve. But Big Biotech is little concerned about any of this, pursuing only greater profits at the expense of environmental and human health.
Though neonicotinoids have been shown to harm bees, those that manufacture them, mainly Bayer, Dow Chemical, and Syngenta, continue to produce them and Monsanto continues to sell the seeds that require them in order to grow. This, in spite of the fact that GM soybeans are more expensive than natural seeds while providing no increase in yields.
"...in most cases there is no difference in soybean yield when soybean seed was treated with neonicotinoids versus not receiving any insect control treatment," admits the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as sourced by Motley Fool.
Europe says neonicotinoids pose 'unacceptable' dangers; USDA says no big deal
Back in 2013, we reported that the majority of European Union (EU) member states voted to ban neonicotinoids based on overwhelming evidence that they are inherently dangerous and unnecessary. But here in the U.S., the Department of Agriculture (USDA) seems to think that this class of pesticides is not much of a threat.
The federal agency is resistant to the latest science showing that neonicotinoids cause long-term health problems in bees, resulting in a deterioration of their sensory and navigational abilities. Many adult bees affected by neonicotinoids end up losing their way while out pollinating, meaning they never find their way back to the hives.
"...the European Food Safety Authority, which apparently doesn't have such a vested interest in protecting the corporations as does the USDA, has found chemicals like Bayer's clothianidin and imidacloprid, along with Syngenta's thiamethoxam, an 'unacceptable' danger to bee populations," explains Rich Duprey for Motley Fool.
When will America's farmers stop mindlessly poisoning the masses with bee-killing poison?
Economically speaking, it makes no sense for farmers to continue investing in Monsanto's GM soybeans. It would be one thing if these products produced higher yields -- at least then it would make financial sense to grow fake food with poison, but clearly they don't.
Even so, Monsanto has reported record sales from its soybean seed business so far this year, clocking a 27 percent gain over 2013 sales. According to Motley Fool, soybean revenues were up more than 125 percent in the fourth quarter alone, while its largest division, corn seed, experienced a three percent decline in sales.
"...gross profits in soybeans soared 44 percent year over year, and Monsanto anticipates seeing double-digit growth in its seed business next year, with corn and soybeans accounting for three-quarters of the opportunity," adds Duprey.
One can only hope that once news of the EPA's position on GM soybeans -- that they are useless and harmful to bees -- gains a wider audience, farmers will begin to choose better and more viable options like non-GMO and organic soybean seeds.
Sources for this article include:
http://www.fool.com
http://www.fool.com
http://www.naturalnews.com
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