Gyroscopic Investing

Due to the proliferation of "superweeds" that are "galloping though the Midwest" and have adapted to Monsanto's Roundup Ready herbicide (90% soybeans, 70%+ corn/cotton), Dow is now seeking to freely use 2,4-D-resistant corn that will withstand DNA damage.  2,4-D is one of the two active ingredients in Agent Orange, a known carcinogen and herbicide used on American soldiers and the Vietnamese (150K birth defects, 3 million negative health effects).  Even though Agent Orange is the most widely used herbicide in the world (third in USA), Dow wants to be able to use ever-increasing amounts with no practical limits and also plant them alongside conventional and organic crops.

This is crony capitalism in the making, but even with a regulatory framework that in theory protects against such unfettered capitalism, I won't hold my breath if Roundup Ready was any indication.  The USDA has already whitewashed the issue.

Details: https://www.federalregister.gov/article ... assessment

In its petition, Dow states that the 2,4-D trait in the seeds will be stacked with Monsanto’s Roundup Ready trait so that the seeds are resistant to multiple herbicide tolerances.

The USDA’s public comment period for giving a green light to this genetically-engineered corn ends on February 27.

MG

I don't mean to sound like some kind of conspiracy nut but it's a widespread farming and ranching rumour/myth/fact that Monsanto and others seeded invasive weed seeds via crop duster so as to require more use of their chemicals.  I'm agnostic on the issue but it does make one wonder. 

In many ways the pesticide companies are similiar to Big Pharma.  It's in their interests to create a problem for which they have a solution.  It's also in their interests to further the notion these chemicals are not harmful.  We all know what usually happens when big business interests coincide with regulatory agency oversight reponsibilities.