The hidden cost of agrochemicals

Health: In June of 2020, Bayer AG, the pharmaceutical and life sciences company that owns Monsanto, agreed to pay $10 billion to settle more than 9,000 class-action lawsuits to those who rightfully claimed that its signature herbicide, Roundup, was responsible for their cancer diagnosis. At the same time, the company shelled out $400 million to farmers whose crops and orchards were decimated by dicamba, an active chemical in Bayer’s XtendiMax herbicide, which drifted onto their fields. This verdict came after a number of conservation groups filed an emergency motion to reverse the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) approval of dicamba for agricultural use.

• If you thought this was the end of Bayer and Monsanto’s reign over farmers, think again. In the aftermath of these lawsuits, the agrochemical giant is forging ahead with a new variety of genetically-engineered (GE) corn, MON 87429. The crop is resistant to 5 herbicides at once - including dicamba, 2, 4-D, glyphosate, and more. In contrast to the company’s stated goal, the use of herbicide-resistant crops has only increased the volume of herbicides applied to US cropland. If the USDA approves MON 87429, it will further perpetuate a food production system that locks growers into a chemical-dependent model of farming.
• Want to make your voice heard? Sign the petition to ban glyphosate, the most widely applied pesticide worldwide. A 2018 study found glyphosate residue in every sample of popular oat-based cereal marketed specifically to children. Exposure to the weed killer has been shown to degrade soil and increase the risk of cancer, infertility, and respiratory illness in humans.

Watch: You may be surprised to learn that In the US, farmers have the highest suicide rate of any profession. Regeneration: The Beginning explores this crisis while exposing the human and environmental impacts of chemical farming. The first part of this docu-series follows the Breitkeutz family, a fourth-generation family running Stoney Creek Farm, as they transition from conventional practices - e.g. tilling the soil and spraying crops with herbicides - to more regenerative methods, which focus on improving the water cycle and increasing biodiversity. The series was produced by Farmer’s Footprint, a coalition of farmers, educators, doctors, scientists, and business leaders aiming to regenerate five million acres of farmland by 2025.

Snack: Looking for a guilt-free snack to satisfy your sweet tooth? Alter Eco is a premium chocolate company pioneering a full circle approach to eating, farming, and doing business. The team sources 100% of its ingredients from small-scale farmers and dairies that practice dynamic agroforestry, a method of agriculture that mimics the natural evolution of a forest. In partnership with the Acopagro Coop, Alter Eco is building a carbon-neutral supply chain that regenerates soil, boosts nutrient density, and provides financial security for farmers.

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